The Apprentice
by LinIsSleepy
Summary: For the longest time, I felt lost. I didn't feel important, or significant, or powerful. And then I realized something: I truly wasn't any of those things. Hardly any one was - I just couldn't deal with it. OCxKurapika/OCxKillua
1. (Prologue) The X Apprentice X Aris

**Hey there!**

 **So this is one of my first fanfics, and while it was old and left much to be desired, I missed it. I missed writing it, and I missed Aris. But before I could update a completely new chapter, a few things** _ **needed**_ **to be fixed. So I decided to slightly revise all the previous chapters and then continue. And then, because I wanted a new start, I decided to make a whole new story and eventually delete the old one.**

 **Thank you for reading!**

 **Disclaimer: Hunter X Hunter belongs to to wonderful and highly respected Yoshihiro Togashi. This is for fan purposes only.**

* * *

I was in the middle of practicing my violin when there was a knock on my bedroom door. I paused my playing and gently nestled my instrument on the nearby bed. The knock had been hesitant and soft, so I knew that whoever it was, it was not my personal maid, Jakarran. She was plump and sassy, like a pampered cat. I had sent her to fetch me a midnight snack, and expected her to arrive any minute now. Considering she tucked me in every night, she wouldn't bother knocking.

I forced my usually expressive face to appear blank, straightened my white night gown, and opened my chamber's door.

The girl, who respectively stared at her feet before me, bowed her head immediately. Her golden tassels covered her brown eyes and thick lashes, but I still could remember their intensity. I saw them often enough. I smiled despite my efforts for a stone face.

"What's up, Diarra?" I asked casually. The girl avoided my face, but ceased her bowing. Her apprenticeship robes were much too large on her tiny frame, and the sleeves hid her hands. She would perhaps grow into them one day when she was an acolyte. Actually, she would probably graduate before then, since she was a prodigy.

"I suppose you mean, 'How am I feeling' yes? I am well," Diarra nodded, finally raising her eyes to my face. I grinned cheekily at her, since grammar corrections were a normal part of conversing with this girl. She was a good three years younger than I was, but she acted twice as mature. In a way, she looked out for me like I was her younger sibling. Perhaps that was why we were friends after all of these years, despite me being an apprentice of the High Priestess. She was only training to be an Acolyte, so that meant that I was her superior, and someone like Diarra took status very seriously. She hardly ever spoke to the other Priestess apprentices, save for what her job required her to.

As close as we were, her visit was unusual. It was approximately ten at at night and Diarra was usually asleep in her Acolyte quarters by nine. I had finished my studies at eight and had already taken my bath; the Temple was winding down for the night. I wondered what could have been so important.

Had I forgotten one of my duties? Most days they were simple, like reading the lessons aloud during worship or preparing for whatever event came after the next. Yesterday I had gotten to sit in and witness a War Council meeting, so therefore I got to skip my daily chores. Maybe they hadn't gotten another person to complete them and decided to ask me to do them anyway.

"The reason for which I am here," Diarra continued, all business-like once more, "is that I have been asked to escort you to the Council's Chapel."

I blinked at her in surprise. The Council ran the entire Temple and acted as the leaders. They were superior to everyone, even my master, the current High Priestess. Their leader, the Bishop, was more a spokesman, since everything thing they do or say is discussed between the twelve of them. So why did they want me? I was only thirteen, not old enough to make my Final Confession and enter adulthood. And I hadn't broken any rules - that I knew of.

"Just let me change," I said, moving to close the door for some privacy. Diarra shook her little blonde head.

"There is not time for that," she warned. Already turning to leave.

Presenting yourself to the Councilmen in anything less than your very best was absurd. Diarra especially, with her love for what was orderly, would have had a heartattack. It was the precise reason that she _herself_ had told me not to change that convinced me to listen.

"Umm... Alright," I said dazedly, stepping out of my room and into the hall of the Priestess' quarters. I closed the door behind me and followed the tiny ten year old.

* * *

The Chapel was a separate building from the Temple, but was still considered to be a part of it. The Temple encased it, as it sat in the central gardens, probably the most sacred place of Templism. Frankly, no one besides the Councilmen and the High Priestess were allowed to enter it without permission, _and_ an escort. The only others allowed in were the Acolytes - every building needed _someone_ to maintain it, and the higher-ups were too preoccupied with _running_ it. They knew the layout pretty well; they ran many errands for the higher ups. Servants were not favored enough by the Heavens to enter.

The courtyard was breathtakingly beautiful. The main attraction was a large fountain with sparkling coins strewn on its marble floor. Besides two Cherubs statues equally distances on either side of it, the only other landmarks were the shrubbery. Each bush was sculpted to perfection, and as green as emeralds.

Diarra led me up the white stairs and struggled to open the large, intricate, mahogany doors. I began to wonder why a little girl was sent as my escort, but only came to the conclusion that she was the only one available. That was still unlikely, but so were the chances of me being summoned.

I tried to memorize the twists and turns of the hallways, but I failed. As far as I could tell, the Chapel was a maze. But despite the difficulty of navigating, I believe Diarra did very well. In no time whatsoever the large, arching doors that led to the Council room were right in front of me.

I don't even remember when they opened, but the next thing I knew, I was kneeling in a bow on the floor. The marble was cold against my forehead, and I felt as if I was blind because its whiteness made my eyes sore.

"You may stand," a gruff voice announced. Obediently, I rose to my bare feet, realizing I had forgotten to put on my slippers. The rest of the room was as pristine and colorless as the floor. Twelve High towers rose all around me as if they were trees and I was in the center of a forest clearing. I saw glimpses of the Councilmen seated on top of them, clad in white robes and draping headdresses that resembled crowns. I couldn't look directly at them, for they were too high and too close. The Bishop was directly in front of me, assumed, opposite to the doorway I had just entered.

Three men and one woman stood stiffly at ground level, facing us, their arms folded behind their backs. I instantly recognized them as the four generals in the Temple Army's Defensive and Survival Corps. I felt respect and admiration, as well as fear. Rumors of the situations these people had been put through had been reaching my ears since I was hardly able to walk. Their job was to basically fight and protect the Temple and its causes with their lives.

Many miles away from the Temple are four buildings, each in the four cardinal directions. The Northern Army Temple, the Southern Army Temple, the Eastern, and the Western. The pupils who have a certain score on a physical fitness test are sent to the Army Temples, where they are trained by the experts. The Generals before me have trained thousands of warriors. Each have their specific set of skills needed for survival, although I'm not sure of whom to match them with. The four classes were Alchemy, which included mineral _and_ herbal knowledge, Stealth, Combat skills, and Weaponry.

To my utter relief, and to my confusion, two of the other three Priestess apprentices were at my right. I took several steps to stand in a row with them. Each of us had our escorts silently standing behind us, staring straight ahead.

Tatiana was next to me, in the middle. She was four years older than me, even though she appeared much older due to her height and her long, swan-like neck. I barely spoken to her, mostly because she disliked me from the moment she saw me, and she did not hide her disdain.

Before I had received my room, when I first arrived as a little girl, she had requested to be as far away from me as possible. Her room was all of the way across from mine in the sleeping quarters. I never did bother to find out what I had done to anger her so.

Thankfully, Tatiana had also not had a chance to change out of her nightgown either, sparing me some embarrassment. Her hair, which was normally tied back in a waterfall braid combined with a bun, cascaded around her like curly black rivulets. The bags underneath her blue eyes made her appear tired, and even older. Her apparent escort, whom I was barely acquainted with, was the only escort not wearing the apprenticeship robes. His chestnut hair was partially covered by a hood, which meant he was a fully fledged Acolyte, despite his young age. I faintly recalled that his name was Keoni.

Next to her was Theron, clad in her black hunting gear.

She hardly ever went out, but when she did, that was what she wore. It was just her bad luck that she had been summoned in such 'indecent' clothing. It was even worse than nightgowns. Usually, she looked very delicate and precious in her robes, but in black pants and knee-high combat boots, she appeared ruthless and common. Her chocolate brown hair was braided to keep it out of the way, since it was against the rules to ever cut it (therefore we all had annoyingly long hair), and there was camouflage paint smeared on her cheeks.

I was the same age as her, and had quite a lot more in common with her than I did with Tatiana. We could be considered friends, I guessed. Our personalities were very similar, too, and we could relate to lots of things. Unfortunately, our conflicting schedules prevented us from becoming closer than we were. Her escort was one of Diara's friends, a little girl with grey pigtails.

It was several more minutes until the youngest of the Priestess Apprentice and her Acolyte arrived. Reut, age nine just as of that day, bounded into the room and collapsed onto her knees. I am sure she would have forgotten to bow entirely, if her escort, and old man with white hair, hadn't discreetly kicked her in the back of the knee, before kneeling behind her himself. He was Reut's godfather, if I remembered correctly.

It dawned on me that all of our escorts had been people whom we had publically shown fondness towards, assuming Tatiana was close to Keoni. He was her age, and handsome, so I was sure they were dating. It was allowed, as long as he was an Acolyte, and they remained abstinent until marriage.

Reut took her spot next to me, still running her fingers through her ratty red hair. Her bedtime was much earlier than the rest of ours, so I'm sure she had been asleep.

"As you must know," The Bishop began. He seemed old and frail, but his voice was booming and projected in such a way that I was nearly frightened. "Today is the 3,287th day of young Apprentice Reut's life. In 1,096 days, she will be eligible to take what is known commonly as the 'Hunter Examination', an honorable test for the superior beings of this world."

I felt my eyes grow large with shock, so I quickly cast my gaze downwards. It was impolite to show any kind of emotion besides repentance, acceptance, and joy.

I had heard of the Hunter Exam - practically everyone had - but why would it concern us? It was... dangerous. Throughout my entire life, I hadn't been allowed to even _think_ about anything that could cause me harm. Now _The Bishop_ had called upon us to _talk_ about it. As the possibilities began to run through my mind I felt a rock settle into the bottom of my stomach. The generals... the Hunter Exam... I gritted my teeth, hoping I wasn't right.

"As tradition, our High Priestess must have a Hunter License, which is only attained by passing the Hunter Examination. Our current High Priestess only has five years left until her position is lost, and she must pass it on to _one_ of her apprentices. Therefore, her successor must have a Hunter License. In three years, the four apprentices before me are required to participate in the Hunter Examination. Until then, they are granted the teachings of one, and only one, general. They are to be trained and taught to survive and pass the exam, and only then can they continue their apprenticeship."

From the shocked faces of all of the apprentices, even Tatiana's, I could tell I was not the only one who had never heard of such a requirement. We all forgot to be polite, and gaped at our superiors.

When had my master become a hunter? I figured she couldn't even hold a dagger properly, not that any of us could, save for Theron. The woman that I saw everyday had never mentioned such an important part of my future.

If I wasn't so confused, I would have asked many more questions, despite being in The Bishop's presence. I had forgone what was proper at this point.

I almost completely missed what the Bishop had said next.

"I'm sure each of you is wondering why only one general is allowed to train you. Simply put," the old man continued, his deep voice resonating completely through me and caused me to shiver. "We are trying to determine which skills are actually necessary and helpful." I saw the woman general and the youngest general share a bitter glance for a fraction of a second. Was the Bishop planning on cutting one of the classes to save time on training? That would certainly allow more trainees to be accepted into the program. So the classes that the victorious apprentices relied on were staying in the Army's training plan, and the classes that the losers had trained in... Well, Combat and Weaponry would continued no matter what, I supposed. It was only Stealth and Alchemy that were being evaluated. It went unsaid, but by the General's faces, I could tell it was true.

There was a lot of politics when it came to the high-ups.

"As for your escorts, you are allowed to take them with you to your training and to the exam, if you wish. Think of them as your tools, and please, put your own lives above theirs; we wouldn't want you to lose such important young women."

Having Diarra accompanying me came as relief. Perhaps I could use her knowledge and calmness. Of course, I'd never consider letting her lose her life for me. The Councilmen just preferred to do things with an old-fashioned flourish.

I had no survival experience whatsoever. I had trouble lifting more than one hymnal sometimes. My only chance of passing the Hunter Exam would be if I were the apprentice that was trained in weaponry. I had been playing the violin since I was five, so I figured I would be good with my fingers and hands. But how were your teachers determined?

Did I even want to become High Priestess? Was it worth dying for? I could easily switch to an Acolyte, since the first part of the training is similar.

But I wouldn't be suited for anything less than a pampered life.

Why was I an Apprentice in the first place? I've read book with normal children in them, and they seem just as happy as I was. What were my motivations?

I realized that I didn't have any. I didn't have hopes or dreams, or something to protect, or a burning desire to succeed. I just... I don't know.

Maybe I decided to take the Hunter Exam that day because I _didn't_ know; I didn't know _why_ I was there, I didn't know why I _cared_ to make the apprenticeship part of my life, my future, my goal, and I didn't know why I _lived_ _at all._

But I _wanted_ to know. I _wanted_ to know why I was an apprentice and I _wanted_ to know who I really was on the inside; what would _I_ do if _I_ were the main character of a book? What would _I_ do if someone needed _my_ help?

That was why, I suppose, I didn't say anything when The Bishop asked us if we wanted to decline. That was the only explanation I had. I felt just as confused as before, but I also had a strong sense of determination.

The Bishop repeated his question.

"Please be sure; does anyone decline?"

No one said a word.

"Since all four have accepted," The Bishop declared, "We will continue with the apprenticeship selections. I have decided that we will determine the classes the apprentices will train under by allowing the Generals to pick, oldest to youngest; seniority rules."

I closed my eyes. I probably wouldn't be picked last, but would I be picked for Weaponry?

Theron, her choice of clothing no longer unlucky, would be most desirable. As a hunter of wild animals, she obviously had experience with stealth and weaponry. The chances that she also had basic knowledge on wild plants and herbs were also high. Not that the Generals would know she was actually skilled, but she really looked her part. She looked truly strong and fierce. Reut was lucky as well; younger children learn the most quickly. Of course, if that were being considered, then perhaps Tatiana would be chosen last, because she was the oldest. She wouldn't get Weaponry, at least.

If I hadn't seen that look two of the Generals had shared, I would have assumed that their choices did not matter, and I would have just brushed off these little details. But they must have felt the same pressure we apprentices felt. Their choice was vital for their jobs. And they could only make their choice based off of appearance (I'm sure they knew our names, history, and anything else in our files, but I doubted something like Theron's nighttime hunting trips weren't mentioned in those).

How would the Weapon trainer know I'm good with my hands? I purposely turned my palms outward so that the many calluses I'd gained over the years of playing violin would be visible. Would that be enough? Would they even look at my hands?

It seemed like hours had passed before one General in his fifties, obviously the oldest by many years, stepped forward. He looked terrifying in his uniform. His muscles bugled underneath his sleeves and his nose was crooked from several healed breaks.

"I am General Barnabas from the Northern Army Temple. I teach Combat. My choice is the apprentice known as Theron."

Theron nodded, obviously relieved. I would have been as well, had I been picked first, But that had been very predictable, and I didn't know why she was nervous.

Now Theron could have knowledge in all four classes, though the depth varied. She was sure to pass the Hunter Exam.

But... more than one person could pass the Hunter Exam, I reminded myself.

Wait, what would happen if more than one of us passed? Or all four? I shook my head, since I needed to focus on what was directly in front of me. It was also possible that _none_ of us would pass. We'd probably be allowed to continue our apprenticeship anyway. The best thing to do would be to pass.

The next oldest General appeared to be around thirty years old. His golden hair ran down his back in a ponytail, and on his cheek was a jagged scar. I had never seen something so hideous, and it contrasted with his appealing face.

"I am General Melanion from the Eastern Army Temple. I teach Weaponry," he began.

I almost crossed my fingers, but quickly remembered I needed him to see their callouses, so I flipped them and held still. _Please, pick me_. If Melanion didn't pick me, I'd be stuck with Alchemy or Stealth, and that was a sentence for failure. I'd lose for sure. _Pick me!_

"I choose the apprentice known as Reut."

I couldn't stop myself from sucking in my breath. Hopefully, Reut's sigh of relief had covered my mistake up, or I would have been considered rude. My heart was frozen.

The next General to step forward was the woman with short, spiky brown hair.

This whole thing suddenly seemed really tedious; each General stepping forward, repeating the same words, save for the name of their choice, like it had been scripted. It felt like a ceremony. I began to wish the Generals would stop being so formal and traditional and just tell everyone which class Tatiana and I had. It didn't matter anymore.

With one look at the older girl's face, all hope of succeeding diminished. But now it was too late to decline. Maybe one of the phases in the exam would require playing the violin? I almost scoffed at how naive I sounded.

"I am General Cleo from the Western Army Temple. I teach Alchemy."

This surprised me, since her lithe body seemed flexible and stealthy. I would have thought she excelled in Stealth.

I nearly jumped when a small hand secretly slipped into mine from behind. Luckily, I stopped myself from glancing behind my shoulder. I had completely forgotten Diarra was right behind me the entire time. She must have caught each and every one of my reactions and figured what each meant.

"Alchemy or Stealth will still be more helpful than nothing, yes?" She whispered, nearly inaudibly. _Yes... They are better than nothing_. I closed my eyes, wondering how Diarra knew exactly what to say. She hardly seemed to be a kid at all.

"I choose the apprentice known as Tatiana."

I made sure my face was completely blank before opening my eyes once more. Diarra's hand was still in mine, so I gave a little squeeze.

 _'That's_ _right_ ,' I thought. _'Diarra will_ _be_ _with_ _me.'_

I purposely stared the last General in the eyes as he stepped forward. He was obviously very young, maybe about twenty or twenty-one. His black hair matched his onyx eyes. He seemed very thin and tall under his decorative uniform, and I wondered just how stealthy he actually was. Out of all four Generals, he seemed the least intimidating. Perhaps it was because he was closer to my age, or maybe it was because he didn't look like he could tear me limb from limb with his bare hands, even though he probably could.

"I am General Zeno of the Southern Army Temple. I teach Stealth. And I guess I'm stuck with the apprentice known as Aris."

My mouth nearly dropped to the floor.

 _He just insulted me! He just did that in front of The Bishop! That- That-_

From the annoyed look on Zeno's face, I could tell the next three years would be the longest of my life

* * *

 _ **AN: I hope you enjoyed the first chapter! Thank you for reading to the end!**_

 _ **By the time I actually get to the plot, Aris will no longer be thirteen. She'll be sixteen, and Diarra will be twelve.**_

 _ **My apologies for any mistakes, inconsistencies, or typos!**_

 _ **Again, thank you for reading!**_

 _ **~MaoIsSleepy**_


	2. (Prologue) The X Apprentice X Runs

**Disclaimer: Hunter X Hunter belongs to the wonderful and highly respected Yoshihiro Togashi. This is for fan purposes only.**

* * *

"You wish for me to help you with packing your things, yes?" Diarra questioned me, after she had responsibly led me back to my bedroom. I felt like an old woman who needed help walking. I believe I had almost fallen flat on my face. I was so dazed that I felt like I was dreaming. The whole meeting couldn't have taken any longer than twenty minutes, yet it had felt as if it had taken hours. My entire life had changed.

The Bishop had explained that, because the Generals were very busy people, the four apprentices and their escorts would be traveling to their respective Army Temples to live and train for the next three years. Every day, from now on, I would have to get up at five in the morning and work my tail with Zeno (I refused to call him 'General', since he thought it was so funny to completely humiliate me). After he 'finished' with me, he had an entire platoon of trainee soldiers to work with for the rest of the day. During that time, I would finish my Priestess studies until it was time to rest again.

The next morning, I would be meeting Zeno for the first time as his Stealth Apprentice. Then he, Diarra, and I will spend the rest of the day in a carriage riding to the Southern Army Temple.

I collapsed on my bed the moment I saw it, but then recalled that I needed to pack everything I wanted. We would not have enough time to do so in the morning. I sluggishly stood up, faced my dresser, and slid the drawers open one by one. The weather was supposedly very nice at the Southern Army Temple, so I decided not to pack my thick and heavy sweaters. Diarra was kind enough to gather my official robes and fold them in my bag while I sorted through the pass time activities. I rediscovered several books which I had enjoyed reading long ago, and quickly stuffed them into a side pocket of my large bag. One of them was _'The Adventure of Remy'_ , one of my favorites that Jakarran used to read aloud to me before I could read for myself. Speaking of Jakarran, I began to wonder where she was. She must have discovered that I wasn't in my room when she returned with the snack, and probably decided to go to her own sleeping chambers for the night, not knowing this would probably be our last together. I decided to tell her first thing in the morning I was leaving, even if it caused me to be late. Suddenly leaving the place I had almost spent my entire life would prove to be more difficult in reality.

If I missed anyone, it would be Jakarran.

The last thing I packed was my violin. I was careful to wipe the body before placing it, and the bow, into a black carrying case. I could have fit the case in my bag with my clothes if I had wanted to, but I felt more secure if I could keep an eye on it. It was my prized possession.

My violin was a gift from my parents. They had given it to me the last time I had seen them - when I was five - to congratulate me on my acceptance on my Priestess Apprenticeship. They had sent me to study at the Temple the moment I was born, so that was the first time I ever saw them. Dad was tall and built, and Mom was willowy, but also a tad sickly. They had come from several days away just to see me. A Temple girl being accepted into Apprenticeship was rather rare, and it was a big deal, so they had been allowed to see me.

Jakarran had explained that my parents were poor, even more so than the servants who washed my clothes, and that they sent me here so I could be taken care of properly. Outsiders weren't allowed on Temple grounds, and I wasn't allowed to leave them, but when the High Priestess took me - and two others, at the time - under her wing, an exception was made. They fawned over my large bed and silky robes.

The violin must have cost my parents a fortune. I have yet to see its equivalent. Every time I play it, I feel the love of my parents. I was extremely grateful to them for being so brave, so selfless to give me up, even though I know they didn't want to. Because of it, I'd never felt alone or bitter. The Violin was like my family.

When we had finished packing my things, I asked if Diarra wanted me to help her with her own belongings. It come out sheepishly, because I nearly had forgotten to consider _her_ needs.

"No, you get your rest. We will have a big day tomorrow, yes?" I nodded and crawled under satin sheets for the last time. Just as Diarra opened the door to leave, a thought popped into my head.

"Hey... Diarra," I began hesitantly. The golden haired girl stopped and turned back towards me.

"Yes?"

"Do..." I swallowed a lump in my throat. "Do you even want to... take the Exam with me?"

Diarra looked taken aback; not offended, just like she hadn't expected those words to come out of my mouth.

"I..." She appeared truly puzzled, her chocolate brown eyes fixed on her feet in deep contemplation. "I haven't really thought about my reason. It is all happening so fast... But," she finally lifted her eyes to mine with a determined expression. "Know that I will always be by your side because I want to to be, and not because I have to be." And with that, she shut the door gently and left.

Feeling reassured - and sleepy - I blew out the candle that lit the room and laid my head on my soft pillow.

* * *

Dressed in my one of my white traveling robes - which had bare shoulders, black ribbon ties, and a bare midriff - I marched my luggage over to the court yard. Diarra was right behind me, a small pack strapped on her slim shoulders. Her curly golden locks were pulled back in a ponytail, so I could actually see her eyes, and she was dressed in similar garb to me, save for no ribbon ties and a pine green coloring.

It seemed as if our carriage had not arrived yet, nor had Zeno, so we waited silently in the shade.

Eventually I got tired of standing and I plopped down on my behind. The Bishop had instructed us to be in the Southern Courtyard (and the other apprentices in their respective directions) by six, and it must have been at least seven. If _I_ could be punctual, why couldn't Zeno? The irritation must have been apparent on my face, because Diarra placed a comforting hand on my shoulder.

"Something important must have delayed him, yes?"

"Yeah," I sighed. We could have packed our belongings three times over now. I could have slept in. I could have had a longer time to say goodbye to Jakarran. "Or he just feels like pissing me off," I muttered.

Zeno didn't arrive for another twenty minutes, but the carriage _never_ did. I can only imagine the look of horror on my face when he came jogging up the marble stairway in nothing but cargo shorts and combat boots. His skin glistened with sweat and his breath was heavy.

"Did you _walk_ here from the Southern Army Temple!?" I all but shrieked. Diarra seemed just as flabbergasted. I quickly realized how silly I sounded. The Temple was over nineteen miles away (30 kilometers), and he looked like he walked through a mist that watered the garden flowers.

"No," Zeno waved me off, and I felt relief. Perhaps he had parked the Carriage on the other side of the Temple and was forced to jog around the grounds. That itself is very difficult for anyone, since that would be equivalent to about half a mile.

"I _ran_ here from the Southern Army Temple," he finished proudly. I broke into a fit of coughing while Diarra let out a shriek of horror.

"You must be very tired, sir! Let me fetch you something to drink, yes?!" She fretted, rapidly scanning the area for a servant. They normally didn't work in this part of the yard until after the sun was blocked by the Temple. At the moment, the entire garden was bathed in sun.

Zeno chuckled, and I was positive his young voice reverberated through the entire building. _He's joking, right?_

''No need for that, kid, that was a light workout. Besides. I'm only halfway done! There is no time for breaks!"

" _What_? Hold on! Why would you _run_ here? Are you _stupid_?" I implored, my shock probably very apparent. It made me forgot my manners - or rather, this _man_ did. Under normal circumstances I wouldn't have insulted _anyone_ , let alone a _General_ (and one who I'd be spending three years with, at that), but I was tired and annoyed and hot and even a little scared.

Zeno glared at me. His black eyes felt heavy and hateful, and I couldn't help but remember his words from yesterday.

 _"I guess I'm stuck with the apprentice known as Aris."_

I felt myself grit my teeth in loathsomeness. _He's stuck with_ me _? I'm stuck with_ him _!_

This whole mess was really unfair. Stealth was the last thing I needed for the Hunter Exam, but this guy didn't seem to get that. Apparently, I looked so absolutely weak and useless that _I_ was the last thing _he_ needed. He wasn't even the one who had to risk his life, and he didn't just discover this the night before. I wished that I spoken up when The Bishop had asked for drop-outs. Now I had dragged Diarra down to my humiliation, and the two of us had to spend three whole years with this guy, who was as loud and as disrespectful to me as Jakarran, and _she_ only acted so because she cared for me. Zeno obviously didn't. Despite his status or rank, he acted like an arrogant commoner. I secretly began to hope that my unavoidable failure really would get Zeno fired, as awful as that sounded. That situation was still unlikely because Generals were hard to replace once lost. Despite his young age, I'm sure he earned his position, even if said position could sometimes be considered useless.

If only Melanion had picked me, because then I would have had a chance of passing the Hunter Exam. Well, perhaps Stealth would at least keep me from losing my head, so I guess Alchemy would have been the worst class for me to have been stuck with. I wondered what Tatiana and Keoni were doing now with General Cleo.

"I wouldn't call anyone else stupid, Stupid," Zeno sneered, bringing me back to reality. I felt my eye twitch in astonishment, since he had just insulted me for the second time within twelve hours. I had never been insulted by anyone other than Jakarran, who meant well, and Tatiana, when she had indirectly offended me by requesting to be placed far away from me. Who would dare insult the possible next High Priestess?

Zeno hadn't even come up with a good comeback.

"No," I spat in return, "you really _are_ stupid. How did you think _the two of us_ are going to get to the Southern Army Temple without a carriage?! What are we supposed to do with our luggage, huh!?"

The look Zeno shot me after I said that would forever haunt me. He seemed to hate me twice as much as I hated him. There was a satisfied, sadistic gleam in his eyes as he broke the news to me.

"You carry it, of course, because _you'll_ _be running_ _back with me_."

* * *

 _'I hate him, I hate him,'_ was my only coherent thought. More than an hour ago, after three nonstop hours of running, I had collapsed on the forest floor and couldn't get up. What did Zeno do? He left me behind, and when Diarra attempted to help me to my feet, he had ordered her to leave me there, laughing all the while. Diarra had a very conflicted expression on her face, so I just barked at her to follow him. Well, I tried, but I couldn't breathe very well, let alone speak coherently. Diarra seemed to understand what I was trying to say, so she apologized to me, but continued through the thick foliage behind Zeno obediently.

For several minutes I just laid there to catch my breath. When I had finally started on my way again, I realized that I was terribly lost. My robes kept snagging on branches. Suddenly I wished I had just gone in my underwear. The most difficult obstacle was minding my precious violin. Long ago had I simply grabbed the top clothing in my bag and stuffed them in my instrument case. Leaving the bag, and my books, had been difficult, so I swore to myself that I'd come back to find them. I hid them in the hollow of an oak tree for protection from the weather, but they were still easily accessible to insects and animals. That encouraged me to find Zeno even faster, despite my feelings for him.

If I lost _'The Adventures of Remy_ ', I wouldn't see the point in living.

My situation had, apparently, made me quite hysteric, considering I was willing to give up on life because of a book that I'd already read.

I wondered how Diarra had managed to keep up with Zeno, but quickly remembered how lightly she had packed. Acolytes barely had enough space to sleep in, so her only belongings could be counted on one hand. She was also smaller and younger than me.

Besides, she was allowed to cut her hair, so it wasn't like she stepped on hers like I did mine. Once, it had fallen out of the intricate bun I had done it up in that morning. While it began to flow behind me, I felt it on my ankles and saw its black color from the corner of my eye. I thought it to be an animal, and I tried to leap away, but ended up tangling my feet in it and falling over. In the process, my robe skirt had ripped in half and I achieved a wicked cut across my eyebrow, most likely from a fallen branch on the dirt ground. It stung like a burn, and it did not cease its bleeding, so I tore the rest of the robe skirt in stripes to tie around my head. I also used a leftover strip to bind my black locks in a braid before wrapping it into a brand new bun. Hopefully, it would hold better than the last one.

Once I had recuperated myself for a second time, I was on my way again. I tried to keep my mind preoccupied to make the time go faster. I really didn't have any idea which direction the Southern Army Temple was in (that is, to _my_ left or right. Obviously, it was in the south), so I just went straight ahead.

As the sun began to set, I felt a sharp pain tear through my foot. I stumbled onto my knees and dragged my body over to a thick tree so that I could lean against it. The air no longer seemed too hot, but now I wished it was. I was shivering uncontrollably and I had to swat at pesky mosquitoes repeatedly. When the pain in my right foot began to register in my brain again, I decided to inspect it. I hadn't realized it, but I had lost my slippers. Without protection, the soles of my feet were black with dirt and red with blood. On my right foot, there was a long gash down the length of the arch. I was surprised I hadn't realized how bad the wound was earlier. I must have raked it across another fallen branch (curse those things). Or perhaps, since it was a much cleaner cut than the one on my forehead, it was a scrapped hunk of metal. Either way, I became nauseous from all the blood.

I was already starving, otherwise I truly believed I would have vomited.

That was the worst night of my entire life, to that point. I was exhausted, thirsty, cold, wounded, and scared. I didn't have a clue where I was.

While I was growing up, the first set of distances I learned to measure in were miles, feet, and inches. Because of that, I was terrible at converting miles into kilometers in my head. Anything to do with distances got jumbled in my mind, and I could never tell how far I had traveled. I had no idea how much of my journey I had completed, nor what was left. And if I had gone in the wrong direction, I would probably die tomorrow.

My only hope was that, since we were traveling through the words, Zeno was going 'As the Crow Flies', and I only needed to head 'straight'.

That was not a happy note to fall asleep on.

* * *

I hadn't remembered falling asleep, but I suppose I had to have done so before I could wake up. Immediately, I felt the pangs of hunger gnaw at my innards. My throat was dry and my head felt heavy.

I think what had truly awoken me was the heat, however, since the sun was at such an angle in the sky that its rays glared straight down on me. I swore. Two days in a row I would have to make the trek while the temperature was at its peak. If I had gotten up in the morning, it would have been nice and cool.

When I sat up, my head began to ache. I remembered the cut across my eyebrow, but discovered that it was no longer the source of my pain. I just had a horrible headache.

I attempted to crawl to my feet, but an agonizing jolt ran through my limbs. The gash had nearly scabbed over, but it was still vulnerable to infections. Not really knowing what else to do, I unwrapped the robe stripe from my forehead and transferred them below. I covered both feet for protection, even though only one seemed to be cut. Thankfully, my head wound had ceased bleeding.

I cautiously unlatched my violin case, picked up my wadded clothes, and breathed a sigh of relief. My violin was as pristine as ever. I took great care repacking before I stood up and went on my way again, the case in a deathgrip.

I broke out of the forest shrubbery as twilight began to fall. That was when I caught my first glimpse of the Southern Army Temple. By a stroke of luck, I had found it. The entire thing reminded me of the pyramids, but it was grey and green. The building had been built _over_ a large river, which flowed through the center of its base. There were no courtyards with beautiful shrubbery and Cherub statuettes, only training grounds. Men and women of all ages and sizes, dressed in black combat clothes, occupied almost every square inch, either training or taking a break and conversing. It reminded me of a busy ant hill.

I didn't recognize anyone until my wandering gaze fell upon the steps of the entrance way. Standing there like a hawk was Zeno. He was staring straight at me, his face hard and smooth. It was amazing that he had noticed me from so far away. I sucked in a breath and wobbled through the training grounds, doing my best to stay out of everyone's busy ways. I stumbled twice on my own, and once was knocked over by two brawlers. They didn't seem to even notice I was there, and continued attempting to knock the other unconscious.

I did my best to restore my dignity by brushing myself off and rising to my feet. I had used my body to shield my violin case so that it would not be stepped on. It took me several minutes just to break out of the crowd, and then several more to lug my case (and my body) up the stairs, which I desperately wished were flat.

"You're an entire day behind schedule," Zeno sighed in fake disappointment. I saw his pleasure in his onyx eyes. I must have looked horrible with my tattered clothing and my skin smudged with mud and blood. My hair felt unusually brittle and thick, while it was just silky and clean yesterday morning.

"Because of your lack of punctuality," Zeno continued, a smirk forming on his lips, "You will no longer have an entire day off for recuperation. Your first training session will be tomorrow and four." I groaned, and nearly broke into tears. But I had a feeling this jerk wanted me to cry, so I swallowed my sobbing. I tried to save myself any more embarrassment, so I just ignored him and began to wobble past him. Where I planned on going, I had no idea. The relief I felt had numbed my mind and body. Zeno sighed behind me in satisfaction. Then he seemed to recall something.

"Oh, and your friend is worried about you, so I would give her a little visit if I were you." I kept right on walking, all the way to the mahogany doors. This place, from the outside, at least, appeared to have similar blueprints to the Temple I had grown up in.

Perhaps I could find my way around? _Ugh, when did my violin become so heavy?_

I relieved my arms of the case temporarily so that I could pry to doors open.

Unfortunately, they wouldn't budge. I yanked again, gasping from exertion. I shivered when some _thing_ (I don't want to admit _Zeno_ was _human_ ) chuckled lowly in my ear.

"What's wrong, can't you even open some doors?" Zeno teased. "Would you like my help?" I gritted my teeth and pulled again in response, failing once more. "Hey," Zeno called, actually sounding serious, "take my help."

I sucked in a breath and turned to face him. If I had accepted his offer to open the door for me, he would have found satisfaction. I wasn't entirely sure why - although I was guessing it was because I was a complete disappointment - but he wanted me to break down and give up. I felt my face grow hot with anger.

"While I'm flattered, I'm perfectly capable of _opening a door_ ," I retorted sarcastically. "So, as they say in York New City, go shove a-"

The doors swung open. I think I yelped when one of them smacked me in the face, but I don't recall this very clearly. That would be because, as a result of a mixture of hunger, thirst, pain, faintness, surprise, and - most obviously - a whack to the face, I blacked out.

* * *

My eyes opened and, thankfully, I was on a bed. It wasn't as comfortable as my old one, and the linen sheets were scratchy, but I didn't much care at the moment. From the various scents that wafted to my nose, like shampoo and soap, and the dampness of my hair, I assumed that I had been bathed. The full feeling in my stomach told me I had also been fed. My entire eye was covered in starch bandages, although that seemed unnecessary because my cut had been above the eyebrow, and my foot felt stiff and restricted.

I hesitantly sat up in the bed; I didn't particularly want to get up, but my curiosity was overpowering. I found myself in what could only be the infirmary, since no other room was as clean or colorless. The glaring heat of the sun entered through the windows and made my eyes water. To my left, a sudden squeak made me jump.

"You are feeling better, yes?" Diarra inquired eagerly, immediately at my bedside and clutching my hands. I noticed the pillow on the floor next to me, so I knew she had spent the night by my side. I smiled fondly at her.

"Sorry if I worried you. I... got lost, I guess."

Diarra nodded vigorously.

"I had thought so!" she exclaimed. "I was just so worried you were attacked!"

I blinked at her in surprise, wondering where such a wild imagination had come from; Diarra was more realistic than the _High Priestess_.

I sent up a quick prayer for forgiveness. Comparing the Holy Priestess to an Acolyte was not an acceptable thought.

Diarra broke out into a nervous rambling - which she only did when she was upset - about bears or thieves.

"I swear, coming here all ragged and bloody, passing out for three days-"

"What?!"

 _Three days? I passed out for three whole days?_ I gulped.

"I guess I missed my first training session. How does Zeno feel about this?" I questioned hesitantly. I didn't really want to know that badly, but I figured I would find out soon enough. I remembered how that man had distinctively told me I didn't even have one day off, but three... he would not be happy.

"General Zeno is very pissed," Zeno stated from the infirmary doorway. His arms were crossed over his chest and a frown was plastered on his face.

I gulped again, this time in anticipation of a punishment.

* * *

 _ **AN: Thank you for reading!**_

 _ **~MaoIsSleepy**_


	3. (Prologue) The X Apprentice X Trains

The Southern Army Temple was, in my eyes, constructed like a flower. The pyramid like building, which rose over 3 hundred feet in the air, was the center of the compound. It was basically split into twenty sections of housing, in which platoons were sectioned together. The second floor was many laundry rooms, kitchens, libraries, studies, observatories, and several dojo. The largest rooms, however, were the Priestess's studies, where she went whenever she visited there. It was, initially, my supposed to be my room, until Zeno decided a barrack bed would work for me just fine.

The third floor was entirely dedicated to the General. 'No one was allowed up there', the jerk had told me. At least he had only claimed the smallest floor; the building's pyramidal structure meant the higher floors were smaller.

The top floor was not the only forbiddance in the Southern Temple. I heard rumors on the wind that there was a basement, and when I was on the tour, which was unfortunately led by Zeno, I had requested that we go and explore it. Zeno had stared at me oddly before telling me that there really was, honest to God, no basement. I frowned, but kept my mouth shut. Rumors were outrageous sometimes, but this one didn't sound untrue. I would probably have to look for it by myself. Diarra would be too obedient to assist me, but I could handle some investigation myself.

The 'flower' outside of the pyramid had a radius of 100 feet, made solely of training grounds. They were sectioned off from each other and numbered one through sixteen. Where they ended, the forest began. I automatically associated these with 'petals', and had decided to call them that from then on, even though Zeno whined at me and complained that it sounded too weak and girly. I told him to shove it somewhere highly inappropriate. Diarra gasped and broke into prayer to ask forgiveness for my transgressions.

But since there were twenty petals, and only sixteen around the base of the Pyramid, the next four began in what was like a second layer, or a second tier. They began where the forest started and stretched back about ten miles, so they were more for survival training than fitness or combat training. I would be training with Zeno and Diarra on Petal 17, although Diarra didn't join us for my first session.

I felt nervous as Zeno led me out there, silence claiming him. I had never seen him so quiet for so long, not even at the meeting in front of The Bishop, but I supposed I didn't know him for a long enough time for that to mean anything.

Although I didn't want to admit It, it frightened me to be alone with him. If he mutually felt about me what I felt about him, he would probably kill me, and take Diarra up as an apprentice. I could see the whole thing play out; Tatiana would convince the others Diarra had been Aris the whole time, and I would disappear from the face of the planet.

My imagination could get a little wild when I was scared.

While trailing behind Zeno, my feet began to ache before we even got to the Petal. Though in my defense, my foot was still injured. I couldn't wear shoes because it was bandaged too thickly, and Zeno had said that only wearing one would throw off my balance. The formerly pristine gauze was probably black under my sole.

Luckily, I had convinced Zeno to let me readjust my forehead wrap so that I could see out of my eye. This time I made sure my hair would not come loose from a bun. A ponytail or braid would probably be more secure, but then it would still reach my shins and get in my way. I had learned from experiences that buns were the best. Even if I wanted a ponytail, it would have to partially begin in a bun to shorten it.

I was glad that I had much more appropriate clothes today; I wore a black tank top and black cargo shorts, so I wouldn't over heat like before. It was strange feeling to be out of my robes, but they had gotten in my way, even while walking.

We walked past the forest and continued for many minutes, until I was certain we were in the center of the Petal. I had to sit down on a trunk because I could hardly breathe. That little trip had been nothing compared to the one I had made four days ago, but I had spent the entire time in between laying around. I don't know what I would have done if Zeno hadn't allowed me to rest, but I would've probably passed out for another three days.

Thankfully, he waited to begin speaking until I rose to my feet again. He wasn't in a very athletic stance - crossed arms and leaning against a tree trunk - so I began to wonder if he was going to start teaching me anytime soon.

"You're really weird," he commented, out of the blue. I glared at him, but even I had to admit it was a weak had caught me off guard, and my mind was still dulled from my ordeal.

"No, seriously." he continued, pushing back against the tree and standing straight. He was probably two feet taller than I was, but for some reason he didn't appear as frightening as earlier, and he was still less terrifying than the other Generals, too. His expression was one of confliction and contemplation.

"You complained to High Hell about running to the Temple, but even when I purposely left you behind, you never gave up or went back."

I blinked at him. Of course I'd known he had gone further ahead on purpose, but I hadn't realized he had been trying to get me to call it quits. I had assumed he just wanted me as miserable as possible. I felt irritated that he thought I would ever do that, even though I probably would have if I had realized I could. Sometimes I could be very dense.

"And the strangest part," he continued, almost as if I was no longer there, and he was speaking about me to somebody else, "was that you never cried."

I couldn't stop my surprised face.

Crying? I hadn't thought about it, but I realized I never actually had. And I hadn't felt the urge to do so until I was right in front of Zeno, and he had been insulting me. More importantly…

"How would you know that?!" I demanded hysterically. Zeno waved me off.

"I had men following you so you wouldn't die. I'm not surprised you didn't notice, even though they were all novices-"

"Then what was the point?! I still got hurt!" I shrieked. Knowing that someone had watched me stumble, fall, pant, and curse for so long was way more than humiliating. I wished I would never know who had been assigned such a task, because I would probably never be able to look them (any of them, since it was apparently more than one) in the eye. I prayed they were all female.

And besides, they hadn't done a good job. My face would be forever marked, as the Physician had told me.

"If you had died, I would have been in deep trouble." Zeno waved me off again in order to change the course of our conversation. He had probably told his subordinates not to assist me in anyway unless I was mauled by a bear. "But anyway, did you know that that was also a test?"

"What?"

He nodded and lowered himself to sit on the ground. I guess this would take a while. I find myself sitting down on the fallen trunk again.

"Every new platoon that is sent here and every new trainee... I put each one through a test. I call it 'The Trail of Tears'. Get it?"

He laughed, throwing his head back. He looked to me, as if he thought I would find it funny along with him. The fact that I didn't seemed to make him even happier.

"Anyway, I put each member under their own personal pressure, and wait to see if they cry."

I frowned, because it sounded cruel to me. Crying didn't mean that you were weak, or emotional, it just made you human. Besides, the amount of work Zeno claimed he put into that test seemed unrealistic. I was told he was a very busy person, but he seemed to have an awful lot of time at his disposal. Personal pressures? Each test was personalized? It seemed far-fetched.

"So if they cry, you send them back to train more under General Barnabus," I figured aloud.

Training in the Temple Army goes in a cycle: General Barnabus teaches the militaristic basics as well as hand to hand combat, and when he passes you or your platoon, which is usually about fifty to one hundred soldiers, you travel to the next Temple to train in Weaponry with General Melanion. Stealth was afterwards because it was a skill you combine with the previous two classes. Alone, it is not efficient for the type of soldier the Temple needed. It was one of the reasons I hadn't desired it as much as Weaponry. Alchemy is taught last because most soldiers never end up using it in battle - though lately, as in the last twenty years, no one had dared oppose the Temples - mostly because it was a survival skill. This process was widely known for being strict, and the Temple's soldiers are known to be the best of the best. Master - the High Priestess - once told me that their reputation was the biggest reason the Center Temple had no enemies. It was one of our greatest defences.

"And it is important that no one believes they have gone soft through the years of peace," she had said. "That is why we modify the training sequence every twenty years - to maintain our reputation."

Was the Bishop trying to eliminate Stealth and Alchemy to shorten the training time, since they were supplementary skills? Was this whole mess a 'modification' to preserve the Temple's reputation?

Zeno nodded at what I had said concerning General Barnabus. I frowned up at him, purposely letting him know I didn't approve. Anything involving the Army Temples rang as cruel to me. I didn't understand their way of life.

"I don't expect you to understand. Stealth isn't just about staying hidden from your enemies' eyes. It can also be about blending in or remaining inconspicuous." He paused for a moment to see if I was listening. "Say your mission is to act as a spy in a group of traveling murderers. If your job was to play along and gain information on them, you would have to stay with them as long as possible, or until your superior says otherwise. If the murderers wanted you to help them kill innocent people, that's what you'd do. Now, if you started crying, do you think the killers would still believe you were tough enough to be one of them? The next thing you know, you're dead and the killers got away because they suspected we were onto them."

I didn't say anything for a while. That made sense. I just didn't want to admit that it did.

"But why would you pull the test on me? It's not like you could send me back if I failed, so what was the point?"

Zeno scratched the back of his head, appearing very nonchalant.

"As I said before, it was to make you quit. Not many can take the pressure. What makes you - of all people - want to keep going, then?"

I crossed my arms and stared at him blankly, trying to annoy him. I wasn't sure if it worked.

"What's that supposed to mean? 'You of all people.'"

He gave me a dead stare, checked to see if I was asking a serious question, and sighed. "Think about it. Why do you think you were the last Apprentice picked?"

I placed my hand on my hip. "Theron was decked out in hunter gear - she already looked like a soldier. And Reut is the youngest, so she would learn the fastest."

"Right - I guess you're not completely stupid. But what about Apprentice Tatianaa? She's older than you, and was in PJ's, just like you, but Cleo picked her. So what do you think was the deciding factor between the two of you?"

I chewed at my lip, because I didn't know, and I couldn't figure it out.

Zeno relented and elaborated. "It was your hair."

"My hair," I echoed skeptically.

He fingered one of his own strands. "It was far too perfect. It still is, actually. It means your priorities lie in you looks, nothing else. Though, now that I think about it, it could have been because your arms are too skinny."

It hadn't been my arms, because my nightgown had long flowy sleeves.

"My hair," I said again, this time with disbelief.

"Tatiana had slight indentations on her nose from glasses, which meant she had been reading."

"So?" I scowled. "That's one tiny detail."

"One tiny detail was better than none. You have literally no valuable traits for a soldier."

I would have argued, I would have screamed and shoved my rough hand in his face. But I was too tired. And he was just telling me the truth.

Zeno got back to the previous point. "So why do you want to become High Priestess so badly? Money? Self-satisfaction?"

I scoffed. Yes, the High Priestess would live in luxury, but currency earned by her went to the Temple. What's more, she lost many freedoms and had to make many sacrifices. Zeno knew all this. He wanted me to crack and yell at him for accusing me of being selfish. Then I would proudly reveal my 'charitable' motives. Every little move he made, he made to piss me off.

Too bad I truthfully didn't have any motives, whatsoever. I already cleared that up in my head, the night I accepted his apprenticeship.

Could my motive be survival? No, it couldn't be, because if it were, I would have declined taking the Hunter Exam and just tried to be an Acolyte. Though, now that I actually thought about it, there was no guarantee I'd be accepted as an acolyte. I remember Diarra telling me that several students were kicked out because the sleeping quarters were too crowded. I was rather far behind in the correct training, so would I have been kicked out? That would have been cruel. I wouldn't survive in the real world.

Well, I was the apprentice of the High Priestess, and that stood for something... didn't it? I suddenly found that I wasn't so confident in my title, especially since Zeno had been insulting me so frequently. If I were kicked out of the Temple, I would probably starve to death - that was a given.

Actually, I suddenly realized, I could just ask Jakarran to tell me how to find my parents. So it wasn't hopeless.

But despite my admittedly weak determination, there was still a strong drive to continue. I could feel it in my core - something told me that I wanted to be the High Priestess. I still needed to figure out what.

I hadn't realized Zeno had been talking the whole time I was running around in my mind, like a chicken with her head cut off.

"Hey," he finally shouted, reaching my ears for the first time. "If you don't tell me your reason, I'm not going to train you!" That was an empty threat, but I saw no reason not to tell him. It wasn't very personal to me.

"I don't know what my reason."

Zeno frowned and rubbed his temples. "Look, I get it if it's personal, but then just tell me that," He sighed, apparently taking my response as further avoidance of the question. I guess my manner hadn't been very sincere. I tried to right that by changing my tone and looking in his dark eyes.

"I'm serious. I really don't know why I want to be Priestess. I guess I'd never really had a reason to not want to be it." The look I received was a skeptical one.

"That's really boring." He eyed me, before moving on. "So why didn't you cry?"

"I just didn't think about crying. Everything is happening so quickly - the Hunter Exam, the training, the journey - and it doesn't really feel real. It's like I'm in a dream, and this is all happening to someone else." I realize how true those words are for me in the puzzled silence Zeno provided afterwards.

I couldn't have been more surprised when he suddenly changed the subject.

"You have a better chance of passing the Hunter Exam than you think."

I opened my mouth in surprise before I blushed and closed it.

"What do you mean?"

"Well, you don't actually have to do better than Theron or Reut. If you simply focus on passing the exam, and not surpassing the two of them, you'll be better off than most," he elaborated. "The majority of the examinees are completely in over their heads. And on top of that, you have Diarra."

I frowned for what seemed like the millionth time that day.

"What about Tatiana and Keoni?" I pointed out. "They are both older than me, and are probably stronger."

"The chances that the two of them offensively attacking you in the exam are very low."

"Attack? So I might have to fight Theron in the Exam?"

"The examiners hardly ever pit examinees against each other, because there's usually one or two of them there that'd kill everybody."

I think Zeno was trying to comfort me, but he just made me break out in a cold sweat.

"If you just avoid those two and their acolytes, you should pass. That was my strategy - to avoid the threats."

"You're a Hunter?" I gasped. Well, I suppose it made sense that a General took the Hunter Exam, but I still hadn't expected it. I could be dense sometimes.

"Yes, Aris, I'm a Hunter, which is why you'll probably pass in three years. Hardly anyone at all who takes the exam is trained by a real Hunter. They won't know what to expect, or which areas to train in. That's why your situation isn't hopeless. Most phases I went through weren't about fighting one on one." I sighed in relief. "If you master Stealth in the next three years," Zeno continued, lifting my spirits, "You'll get a Hunter's License without breaking a sweat."

"After you almost kill me every day," I finished under my breath.

He grinned and nodded in agreement. "After I almost kill you every day."

* * *

At the time, I hadn't realized that that had been the first time Zeno and I had had a real conversation and hadn't yelled at or insulted each other. Over the years, our relationship continued to improve until we were actually friends.

Zeno's warnings about never entering the top floor meant nothing to me, and I trespassed into his room on many occasions. I'd initially hoped to surprise him and catch him off guard, but he could always tell when I was there. Sometimes he would literally drag me out of his chambers by the hair the moment I entered.

I can proudly say that I once pestered him enough that he honestly thought about killing me. At the time, it had been a frightening experience to feel the full force of his killing intent, but after Diarra had saved me, I thought of it as a fond memory.

The Southern Army Temple slowly morphed into my home. The barren walls were no longer strange, the smell of sweat became comforting, and I grew to learn its layout like the back of my hand. I never found any sign of the rumored basement, and though it still interested me, I was content with leaving it be.

Zeno's training was the most difficult thing I'd ever had to endure, but by the time I was fourteen I no longer had anything on my body but muscle.

The first half of my training had been merely getting my body in shape. Zeno said that all four apprentices were allowed to at least stray that far from their classes - otherwise any of their lessons would be completely useless.

I'd also learned over the three years was how truly strong Diarra was. When she had first run ahead with Zeno in The Trail of Tears, it hadn't occurred to me to ask how she had kept up. I had chalked it up to her light luggage, but deep down, I knew that what she had carried made no difference.

It turned out she was a natural survivor. She was twice as fast as me, and she learned twice as quickly. When our sessions had finally been combined, she easily kicked my ass in every category.

Zeno just made my sessions more difficult.

If you never have to train with that maniac, don't. Once he made me spend an entire month off of the Petals in solitude so that I would become familiar with silence. After that month was up, he thought Diarra and I should learn how to live together, so he sent her with me for another two months. We had been living together as long as I could remember, so I saw no reason banish us other than to get rid of me for a while.

I was kept so busy that I forgot to continue most of my Priestess studies. I even forgot how

homesick I was, that is, until I received a letter from Jakarran. After, I wrote to her frequently.

Eventually I stopped my studies and spent most of my days out in the woods or sleeping, getting rest for training. Zeno had said that there would be plenty of time to learn all of that when I passed the Hunter Exam. Besides, most of it was reviewing seasonal things that I'd known already.

The years had changed my appearance as well. Of course I had grown taller, but the most noticeable change was my old baby fat. It seemed to have melted off my face, stomach, and bones. I was leaner and more muscular, and I felt more confident with my step. Even though they had healed long ago, the scar crossing my eyebrow was still there, and it was very visible against my tanned skin. The brow hair was forever gone where they intersected.

I use to be very fair, and compared to Diarra I still was, but the color of my skin had changed drastically.

Unavoidably, my hair had grown even longer. I didn't know what to do with it because the ends had grown ratty and brittle. Diarra explained that, since my training began, I put it up more often. That broke the hair and damaged the ends. I had Diarra slice about two feet off in secret, so it went to my knees when let down. Zeno seemed to be the only one who noticed, but he assured me no one else would because it was still so long.

"When you run a mile, a meter doesn't seem like much."

Once fitness training had ended, Zeno said he'd begin to help me in specializing in Stealth. I had to learn the basic defensive maneuvers in case my pretend 'cover' was blown on a mission. Then I had to study to learn how to use many different weapons incase my 'cover' called for it. That was Zeno's clever way of introducing me to weaponry without it becoming a problem - after all, the Bishop had said were not allowed to learn the other categories. But dabbling… that was different.

I learned how to hide knives and daggers along my body and how to discreetly draw them without anyone noticing me. Then we learned swordplay. That had taken very little time. Zeno had even complimented me on how quickly I picked up on it. Praise was rare from him - unless you were Diarra - but they had come more and more often after some time.

I almost began to feel guilty about 'cheating' and learning Weaponry and Combat, but Diarra reassured me that the other apprentices would be doing similar things, so we went along with it. In the end, I excelled with weapons, just like I knew I would.

I hadn't really kept track of time, so when Reut's twelfth birthday arrived I felt as if I'd been slapped in the face. The three years had gone very slowly, but I still felt like there wasn't enough time. The Exam was about three months after Reut turned twelve, so I had that long to polish my skills. Zeno had said he wasn't worried, which made me feel a little better.

Then I found out I was invited to the birthday party, along with Diarra, Keoni, Tatiana, Theron, and Amaranta, her escort from the night of the meeting and Diarra's childhood friend. It was slightly more fun than I had thought, because for so long I had been thinking of these people as enemies, when really they were my friends. Tatiana didn't seem to absolutely hate me like before, but she still didn't talk to me much. She was now engaged to Keoni, so that had been a pleasant surprise. Her face and lips were fuller, and her skin glowed. Womanhood had suited her well.

Theron had morphed in a similar way to me. Her hair was braided again, but I could tell she had cut it from the straight ends. Her arms were thicker than mine, but that was understandable, considering the nature of her training. She still greeted me with a smile, which I was happy about.

Reut had changed the most, however. Her curly red hair had grown so thick that the curls had straightened out. Her eyes had shrunk to fit her head and her chest had grown a considerable size. Her personality was the same, though, because she still jumped up and down with an energy she seemed to pull out of thin air. Her godfather had passed away, though, from old age, so there was a sad air surrounding her whenever there was silence. He wouldn't have gone to the Exam with her anyway because he was too weak, and it was too late to teach him anything. I was glad to know he had gone peacefully.

I hadn't seen any of these people for three years, but it barely felt as if we had been apart for a day. I wondered if we would all come back from the Exam alive.

Diarra had spent the whole party catching up with Amaranta. I had forgotten that they had grown up together as sisters, and slightly felt guilty.

What would either of them feel if one were to wind up hurt? How would I feel if Diarra were the one? I laughed at myself then, because I would get hurt before Diarra would. She could dance circles around me when we scrimmaged.

After the party, the months flew by.

And that takes me to waiting in a large mass of Hunter Applicants in a cave, a tag with the number 113 on my chest. Diarra is at my side, the tag 114 tapped on her shirt as well.

The Exam might begin in a minute, an hour, or maybe a day. It's difficult to tell time when I have been waiting for this for so long.

Let's just hope we make it back alive.

* * *

 **AN: So, the prologue is officially over. Thank you for reading!**

 **~MaoIsSleepy**


	4. The X Apprentice X Begins

Chapter One:

The cave Diarra and I had entered didn't exactly chalk up to my expectations. After spending three years with my main focus being the Hunter Exam, a plain cavern wasn't where I would choose to hold what was considered one of the most important events of the year. In the Hunters Association's defense, I was extremely difficult to please, mostly thanks to my expensive habits as a youth.

I was terrible at guessing numbers and distances, but I had to say the cavern was at least big enough to hold over a thousand people. Perhaps that was why the Exam was being hosted here: for its size.

It was a little too humid, most likely due to the fact that we were underground, crowded together with over two hundred other people. I was even dressed in my summer robe, with its bare midriff and bare shoulders. For the first time in what seemed like forever, I was clad in proper apprentice clothing, instead of my usual camouflage-colored training gear. It took me a week to convince Zeno, my Stealth master, to allow me to wear my ceremonial robes. It wasn't as if it would get in my way, since I had modified the design into on that didn't drag on the ground, but it was rather flashy. I just _couldn't_ come dressed as a soldier, not when the other apprentices would be here.

I had also been allowed to wear traditional black slippers, so I made sure their ribbon ties were tight so that they wouldn't fall off.

Diarra had been secure enough to wear her training gear, which was a forest green tank top underneath a Windbreaker, brown combat boots, and army issued cargo shorts. Her golden curls, which had been chopped to her shoulders, were fashioned in a ponytail. I wished I could cut my own hair desperately, but it was against Priestess tradition. My hair would be considered sacred if I became secured the title. The practice stemmed from a time when dolls were thought to be the directly connected to one's soul. Using ones hair to create a doll in their image could have spelled bad news, or even death, if that was the desired effect.

Thankfully that was a load of hooha. I had only ever cut my hair once, to keep it off the floor and freshen the tips, but Diarra had done it for me in absolute secrecy. Now I wore it in a secure bun so it wouldn't fall out and get in my way.

I forcibly released the breath of air I had unconsciously trapped in my lungs, scouting the cavern halfheartedly. Zeno said the Exam would take about a week, and then I could return to the Southern Temple, and therefore, to my violin. My fingers itched to play it again, even though I had snuck in one last practice session before heading out.

I had gotten much better in just the last year than in the three before that. I figured it was because Zeno had introduced me into Swordplay and Weaponry, even though he technically wasn't supposed to. I had always been crafty with my hands, and they were skills I desperately needed. When I had learned as much as I could inconspicuously in the two 'subcategories', I found other things that had been challenging before were now as easy as pie. I could even _walk_ better than I used to. It made me crave for more training, so Zeno promised to keep tutoring me after the Exam, in both Stealth _and_ Weaponry. Apparently, he wasn't too shabby with a knife and sword himself.

I still remembered when Zeno told me of his mastery.

"Knives are easier to wield than swords," he had lectured. "You can also give yourself an advantage by throwing them. Here," he coerced a dagger from somewhere on his body, demonstrating the perfect throwing technique. I mimicked him, being sure not to flick my wrist at his instruction. It was one of the few days that Diarra had been given her own itinerary, and she was off somewhere in Petal 5 and its obstacle course. She was probably in the middle of completely crushing all of the previous records.

Zeno gave me the green light to release, and actually throw the knife for real. It landed twenty, maybe thirty feet from the tree I was aiming for, and was never seen again. _Zeno_ hadn't even found it when he searched immediately after our lesson.

After watching the knife hit exactly nothing, he continued to lecture me, in a deadpan. "Missing is a death sentence. You'll lose your only weapon and be completely defenseless."

I had rolled my eyes and said, "Duh. So I'll learn not to miss."

Zeno rubbed his face in consideration. "Hmm… No."

"'No'?" I echoed. "What do you mean, 'No'? Do your damn job and teach me!"

"What I mean is, knives might be too unreliable for someone as slow as you."

I rolled his comment in my mouth as he said, "And by the way, I would stop swearing, if I were you. You're supposed to be a spiritual leader of the Temple one day."

Ignoring his ad-libbed warning, I asked, "If knives are the easiest to wield, then why won't you teach them to me?"

"Don't get me wrong, I will - the basics, at least. But say you _do_ manage to hit your target in a fight. The opponent will be injured, maybe even downed, but what about when it's not a one-on-one? Your weapon would be stuck in a body, and you wouldn't be able to retrieve it fast enough."

I cringed at the visuals he had put in my head. "So I'll carry _lots_ of knives."

"Sure - and weigh yourself down even more. It's more efficient to carry one weapon, especially someone as slow as you." Zeno explained. Huh. Normally he would call me weak, but I'd shown so much improvement the the strength category that he couldn't exactly say anything about it anymore. But he _had_ to insult me somehow, and my speed was the new target.

He flipped a new dagger in his hand. "They're much heavier than they look. And learning to draw from one spot on your body just makes the draw that much faster. Speed is one of the most important parts of Stealth. So you need to specialize in one area."

I wasn't _that_ slow _anymore_ , either, but I'd seen Zeno literally disappear in a blur. _Diarra_ couldn't even move _that_ inhumanly fast. I learned from a couple of cadets about how that technique was the reason he was able to get so much done at the Temple and still have time to torment me.

I jutted out a leg and put my hands on my hips. "I suppose _you_ only carry one weapon, then?"

Zeno nodded. "I prefer a knife, if anything at all."

"How would you kill without a blade?" I had sputtered, shocked at the notion. Zeno's eye gleamed.

"You'd be surprised what I can do with my bare hands."

I audibly gulped.

"But don't worry about _that_. You could spend a hundred years trying to learn some of _my_ techniques, but in the end, it all comes down to ancestors and genetics."

I didn't ask him to elaborate on the genetics part. "So, if you're not going to teach me to _throw_ a knife, does that mean you're going to teach me to use it normally?"

Zeno sighed like he couldn't believe I had said that.

"Dumbass. Knives are the worst kind of weapon to 'use normally'. Either they're only useful for throwing and sneak attacks, or not at all. They're way too short, and they force you to get right up to your target, which leaves you vulnerable. Disarming you would be easy, especially for Apprentice Theron, who probably learned how to do that last _year_ already. Not to mention, that other Apprentice, Reut, will probably have a sword. A sword will beat a knife, _any_ day - never forget that."

I glowered at him, which only seemed to make him cheerier.

"And," he smirked, "you're far too loud and lethargic for any sneak attacks - Stealth really _was_ one of the worst picks for you."

Zeno ignored the tongue I stuck at him.

"So what do you suggest I do, then? I can't just be weaponless." I'd already thought about what would happen if all I could do was blend into walls while Reut was running around with axes and arrows. It wouldn't be pretty for me, that was for sure. And poor Tatiana wouldn't even have a 'useless' knife.

Zeno shot me a grin so genuine, so boyishly mischievous, that my heart stopped.

"We'll fight fire with fire. Let's get back the the Southern Temple; I'm sure we can find a decent sword in the armory."

Swordplay came rather naturally for me, yes, but Zeno was the Master from Hell. However, I can proudly say I never complained during those lessons. It actually wasn't so bad, learning from him; he had kind of grown on me.

While my 'gifts' - if I can even call them that, since I'm _still_ just a novice - lied in 'Stealthy'-Weaponry' (which was what Zeno had called it as a joke, and it just stuck), Diarra had shown unbelievable talent in Stealth alone. She could trick even Zeno's eyes, and sneak up on birds. I asked her what her secret was, and she just said that she had always been quiet.

Jakarran mentioned in one of her letters that when Diarra had been born, the Temple doctors were worried about her. She never cried, not even for her first breaths. They had thought she would die within days.

But she thrives when facing a challenge.

In the underground cave, Diarra began following me as I roamed around aimlessly, discreetly attempting to 'size up' the other applicants. Scouting the competition was the first step of our plan.

There were over two hundred by now, but newcomers seemed to pour from the elevator every passing minute. No one really stood out to me, besides an extremely buff man who looked as if he could squash my head. He was casually grilling some unknown meat on a portable grill. There was also a tall, purple man in green. Needles protruded from various point on his face, and his head clicked back and forth like he was a broken, plastic toy. Diarra and I had an unspoken agreement to avoid him at all costs. His aura made me gag with fear.

I disturbingly noted that lack of women; throughout my entire round of inspection, I had only come across two. One of them had mint green hair, and caught my attention because of her cute looks and large hat. Diarra mentioned that she sensed movement within it. I sent her to get closer. She scouted her out, inconspicuously passed her a couple of times, and returned to me. I hadn't seen her do it at all, and she had to tell me her strategy.

"I heard a buzzing," she reported. "Strange, yes?" I nodded, humming to myself.

Theron, Amaranta, Tatiana, Keoni, nor Reut were anywhere to be seen. Before Diarra and I had a chance to actually get settled in at an observation spot, we were called at from a manly voice.

"Hello," a stout and hairy man greeted us. I instantly became suspicious, as did Diarra, since the Hunter Exam wasn't exactly a good place to start up a conversation. No one was here to make friends. However, this man seemed to be middle aged - old to me - almost harmless, so I began to doubt that he had many ulterior motives, or at least threatening ones.

"The name's Tonpa," he continued, sticking his hand out to be shaken. I complied hesitantly since his hands were rough and hairy. I was reminded by him of a monkey and wondered what his hidden abilities were, because they were hidden _well_. I considered just telling him to go away or I would attack him, but making enemies early on had been listed as one of the 'Worst Ideas Ever' by Zeno. We were trying to be invisible, and if someone hated our guts, that meant they could 'see' us.

I gave a polite little smile to Tonpa in acknowledgement after I signaled for DIarra to disappear. We had devised a strategy, before we had arrived, to try and seem like strangers. It was one of the reasons that Zeno let me wear my robes, because that meant Diarra and I would have different outfits.

Diarra was gone in the blink of an eye. Tonpa didn't even notice her. Zeno would have been proud of how quickly she moved.

"I'm Aris," I responded to Tonpa.

"This must be your first year," he grinned. "Luckily for you, I'm kind of a veteran." He continued on about how this was his thirty-fifth year participating in the Exam in a row. I gasped when I heard this, which made Tonpa's eyes twinkle with pride. I would have been too ashamed to admit that I had failed even _once_. The small talk ensued rather awkwardly.

"Er, so, Tonpa-san," I began, searching for the right words, "you must know an awful lot about the Exam. Got any pointers for a rookie?" Tonpa smiled and rubbed his head in thought.

"Do I ever. Let's see..." He pointed at a young man with dark skin and strange clothing. In front of him was a large pole-like bar wrapped in gauze. Apparently, it was a blow dart, and he was known as Geretta the Huntsman, and he was easily crossed, so 'I should stay away from him'.

There was also an older grey-haired man who was an expert in Martial Arts (not necessary to avoid, but dangerous all the same), a trio of crafty bothers, a spiteful snake charmer, and a loud-mouthed ninja, who 'wasn't as stupid as he appeared at first glance'.

With baited breath, I saw the ninja observing a little figure from across the room. He had noticed Diarra. Her effort to stay inconspicuous must have made him wonder what she was up to.

"Oh, and the guy who's grilling right now is Todo the wrestler. He's actually kind of smart, so don't mess with him." I nodded to show I was listening. Diarra couldn't have been less oblvious to the unwanted attention she was garnering. The ninja, thankfully, deemed her actions as unharmful to himself. He turned away.

Diarra's presence being noticed bothered me, because if someone could beat _her_ out in a stealth match, we were screwed.

Then a clacking noise caught my attention.

"Do you know anything about him, Tonpa?" I asked suddenly. Tonpa followed my gaze to the clicking purple man. He turned serious as he leaned forward to improve the privacy of our situation.

"To be honest, I hardly know anything about that guy. But I have heard he goes by Gittarackur."

"I see. And what about that one?" I pushed. I redirected my eyes to a very defined man in white. He looked like a jester, or a clown, and his red hair was slicked back. On one cheek there was a blue teardrop, and on the other there was pinkish red star. His complexion was impossibly pale, so I assumed he was plastered in body paint. His outfit was studded with the suit symbols from a deck of cards, and it was so tasteless that I questioned his sanity. Still, despite his strangeness, he was one of the most handsome men I had ever seen.

"Oh," Tonpa whispered sourly, his face white. "That's Hisoka the Magician. If you had to choose between even _talking_ to him and being mauled by a bear, pick the bear." He left it at that, quickly changing the subject. "But anyway, I just so happen to have some soda here," he began shuffling through his messenger bag before pulling out an orange can. "Here, cheers to our acquaintance!"

I coughed to cover my expression of disbelief.

 _Was this guy serious?_

After politely refusing Tonpa, and convincing him that the I was on a diet - that had been _very_ awkward - Diarra and I regrouped.

"The bald man noticed me," Diarra said immediately. I beamed with pride and ruffled her hair. So she _had_ noticed. And by feigning obliviousness, she had let him believe he was better than her, and therefore, not a threat. She had outplayed him.

I recounted all I had learned from Tonpa. While our exchange had been less than enjoyable, he had still helped me out.

We finally found Theron and Amaranta, respectively numbered 221 and 222.

I had felt a strong desire to approach them, but everyone had agreed at Reut's birthday party three months ago that we should act as though we didn't know each other. Diarra and I had known that that was for the best, but we both felt bothered by it. I accidently met Theron's gaze and we shared silent words of encouragement; _Good luck. Don't die_.

Reut was number 289. She unavoidably attracted unwanted eyes; two Dao swords were strapped to her back in an X formation, a long Buccaneer dagger hung at one hip, and a Katana on the other. She seemed so small and lonely coming here all by herself, carrying large steel weapons, as one of the only twelve year-olds. I remembered Zeno said it was best to stick with only one weapon. General Melanion couldn't possibly thought sticking four swords on little Reut was a good idea. At least they appeared slightly smaller than their average type; the Katana I had practiced with was a good four inches longer. I assumed hers were custom made.

Tatiana and Keoni strutted into the cave stylishly (okay, _just_ Tatiana), and still, they didn't get as much attention as little Reut. I could only glimpse their tags, but I managed to specify that they were numbers 392 qne 393.

They clasped their ringed hands together and faced the world with hard eyes that went soft for only the other. I wondered if they had set their wedding date yet, but I didn't dare go up and ask. Neither them, nor Reut, seemed to notice Diarra and me keeping an eye on the elevator door.

Tatiana had her hair done up in an elegant waterfall braid with the loose ends gathered in a bun at the nape of her neck. I wished my hair curled in perfect ringlets like hers, where they framed her face. Mine was as straight as straw.

After I had made my tabs on the other apprentices, Diarra and I decided to settle down by leaning against one of the stone walls. Our position allowed us a visual on the entire cave, as well as any new arrivals. Most were still men, of course. After a long while, I found my former anticipation begin to dull. When we had first arrived I had been so tense about the Exam that I had been pacing back and forth. Now, however, I felt like the stupid thing would never start, and I began to slack off in annoyance. If I had known the wait had been this prolonged, I wouldn't have insisted on arriving so early.

In the corner of my eye, I caught a glimpse of Amaranta once more. She was younger than me, but older than Diarra, so she was maybe about fourteen. Her hair, a strange, smoky grey despite her age, was chopped slightly past the nape of her neck, and then tied back in a small ponytail. Her bangs, which were straight across her forehead, hid her eyes most of the time. She was shy and quiet like Diarra had been, but Amaranta hadn't grown out of her timid habits over the years like she had. But she was much larger than before, and her arms were no longer as thin as twigs.

I looked to down at my right to see Diarra had been staring at Amaranta too, although her eyes were glazed over. Whether it was in sadness, or longing, or something else entirely, I wasn't sure. The two of them had been closer to each other than Diarra had been to me those three years ago, but now, I believed, it was the other way around. It was comparable to a book I had read once, where a girl and her best friends had grown apart once they entered high school from middle school, but they still cherished their fond memories of one another. However, neither of them could talk to another because they were too worried about their reputations.

Diarra and Amaranta had a much _less_ trivial reason not to speak to each other.

The rest of the book had ended up barely mentioning the old friend, and I barely remembered the plot at all, but that little detail stuck out to me. I hoped they could catch up some day.

"There sure are a lot more people here than I expected," I started idly, attempting to distract Diarra. She tilted her head up towards me and gave a fond smile, which confused me.

"There are." She followed that up with a knowing grin and a short laugh. "This is your first time away from the Temples. You are doing well, yes?" She inquired.

I nodded, because I hardly seemed to notice that fact myself. I had never been allowed to leave Temple grounds, like Diarra, though I had never felt shielded. I had plenty of books to read, and I've seen a television several times. Also, most of the soldiers and trainees at the Army Temple, whom I had long and descriptive conversations with, had been born and raised in normal cities.

Even though we had started talking to each other for distractions (Diarra kept me from noticing the boredom, and I had diverted her mind from fond memories of the competition), we lapsed into a very nervous, yet needed, silence.

* * *

Hours passed by until the last three applicants entered. Notably, one of them appeared younger than me, maybe Diarra's and Reut's age.

Diarra and I rarely broke our silence, so I was fairly crabby, and wondered when our tedious journey would come to an end. For several minutes, I had felt my eyelids grow heavier and heavier. It was just so... I couldn't think of a better word than tedious.

I sank onto my bottom, sliding down the wall, and plopped my head on my knees. I could trust Diarra to watch my back.

I probably dozed off for a few minutes.

The most terrifying, desperate, despairing scream I had ever heard, or read about, or imagined, rippled through the air. Every single applicant in the cavern grew still. I whipped my head up and instantly wished that I hadn't. Many yards away, being watched by helpless bystanders, a man shrieked bloody murder as... I didn't know how to explain it. Both of his arms, before my very eyes... _disintegrated_. The ash - whatever it was - drifted in the air as a light breeze passed by.

Which was impossible, since we were underground.

The man collapsed on the floor in agony, curled in the smallest ball a human being could ever make. I bowed my head and prayed for him softly as he rolled side to side, his cries still audible. Tears pricked my closed eyes, but I hardened myself, and my resolve. What had just happened? Suddenly, I wished I were bored again.

Something soft tickled my cheek, like a feather. I opened my eyes, caught it, and gently removed it for observations.

 _A flower? Down here?_

"Oh, how peculiar," a mischievous voice drawled through the silence, causing my blood to run cold in my veins. "His arms seem to have become flower petals."

I gulped and stared, my mouth wide open. That magician... Hisoka the Magician... he had done that. The pale man held up his hands, smirking.

"No smoke or mirrors here." He paused before continuing, as if just noticing the crowd he had attracted hadn't dissipated. "Do take care. When you bump into someone, you really should apologize," he threatened, his voice slipping into a low whisper. Promptly, Hisoka spun on his heel and returned to himself. The crowd scattered, and a gossiping murmur erupted in the crowd.

"He is worse than a bear, yes?" Diarra commented, referring to what our 'acquaintance' Tonpa had mentioned hours before.

I nodded in agreement, my hands frozen around the wilting flower petal between my fingers.

* * *

After several minutes, the crowd began to settle down.

I leapt to my feet when a ringing alarm was set off. I could not see it, but from the sound, it was from behind the wall in I had been facing. I took a deep breath as the ringing ceased. The wall rumbled and shook, and to my great surprise, shot straight up.

It revealed a lone man standing in a tuxedo, a black tunnel stretching on, seemingly endlessly, behind him. If I had seen him any other time, his appearance would have made me laugh. His nose was crooked, but what really stood out was his pink hair and brown, mismatched mustache.

His lips... well, he had no mouth.

The ground finally stopped quaking when the bottom of the wall disappeared into the ceiling.

"I apologize for the wait," the tuxedo man declared. "The entry period for the Hunter applicants has ended. The Hunter Exam will now begin." I felt Diarra tensed up next to me, her eyes determined and hard, and her jaw set firmly. I realized I had been doing the same.

"A final caution," the man warned, continuing, "If you are short on luck or ability, you could very well end up seriously injured or even dead. Those who accept the risks, please follow me. Otherwise, please exit via the elevator behind you." He paused for a moment, allowing any drop-outs to speak up. No one moved.

"Very well. All 404 applicants will participate in Phase One." With that, he spun on his fancy heel and took a step down the tunnel. I couldn't see him very clearly, but the motion in which he swung his legs, and how his arms mimicked, reminded me of a toy soldier I use to own when I was particularly young. Jakarran had thrown it out because I had accidently dropped it and it lost its head. She also said it was a boy's toy, and I shouldn't have had it anyway. Where it came from, I had no clue.. I shook my head rapidly, because now was not the best time to reminisce.

Diarra and I followed the flow of the crowd and started forward.

We had barely gotten anywhere when Diarra noticed something odd.

"Aris... I believe... the pace has increased, yes?" She asked, breaking into a jog. Others nearby began to murmur in question as well. As is to answer her, the man leading us through the tunnel, even though it was straight and there was only one way to go, began to speak up again.

"I neglected to introduce myself," he said formally. "I am Satotz, the Phase Once examiner. I shall lead you to the exam's Second Phase." I grunted in surprise and furrowed my brow. The Second Phase? So, wait…

"What about Phase One?" An unusually loud man shouted. It was the elite ninja. He was playing the Naive Card. The small pause that followed his question was filled with suspense.

"It has already commenced. You must follow me to Phase Two. _This_ is the exam's First Phase." He cleared his throat. "I cannot tell you where or when you must arrive. You need to follow me."

I shot Diarra a warning glance, which she returned in understanding, and we braced ourselves for the worst. I felt my confidence grow despite myself, even though I tried my hardest to overestimate the exam. This would be no problem for me, since I could run forty kilometers in a day, thanks to Zeno. I wondered how he knew I would need to run. This would be like my first journey alone to the Southern Army Temple three years ago, in the Trial of Tears. During my fitness training, I eventually had run there and back twice in a row, then around all of the Southern Temple's second layer of petals. It'd been hell, but I shaved my time down to a day.

Diarra and I had this in a bag - her time had beaten Zeno's record, when he wasn't using that crazy blur technique.

We could do this, easy.

* * *

Unless we ended up running for _60_ kilometers, which, in fact, we _did._

* * *

 **An: Well, technically this is chapter one, because the first three chapters had been an extended prologue.**

 **Thank you for reading!**

 _ **Special thanks to: xDFTBAx, Jacisse, Untrustedwithscissers, Wishful Falling, faded. ember,**_

 _ **jackn37, justme2134, Madao6, Magic Mishap, patamon642, Maufo Faura, and YuYuHakushoObssesser.**_

 _ **Love you guys!**_

 **~MaoIsSleepy**


	5. The X Apprentice X Runs (Again)

I felt fairly confident that I would pass the First Phase. Running? Easy. I did so often.

But a tiny voice in the back of my head warned me that there would be more to it. There had to be a catch.

When I asked Diarra about what she thought, she suggested that I should just focus on what was ahead of me. As irritating as that answer was, she was absolutely right, because I wouldn't even have to worry about a trick, or maybe the Second Phase, if I couldn't pass the first request of the Exam.

The two of us were near the middle of the group, trying to stay inconspicuous, like Zeno had suggested. Running to the front was like begging for attention.

I kept thinking about how Hisoka had somehow turned that poor man's arms into flower petals, and how Gittarackur looked like he murdered children in their feverish nightmares. Even if they weren't especially talented or skilled - which I was pretty sure they _were_ \- they gave off an aura that could kill alone. They _liked_ killing. I felt like shivering, but decided to hold it in. Knowing Diarra, she would notice it and ask me if I were cold before insisting I take her Windbreaker.

"I think we should begin to keep closer tabs on the other apprentices now," Diarra suggested. "We should split up for a while."

Zeno had once said our biggest asset was being a team. Then, almost immediately afterwards, he devised that we should split up.

I had rolled my eyes at him. "Doesn't that defeat the purpose of having a team?"

He called me an idiot. "Not in any sense of the way. If you split up, it's being in two places at once. You see and hear more with two sets of ears and eyes, Stupid."

Diarra was gradually widening the distance between us. Already, examinees had begun to fail, and some collapsed on the hard ground. We had to take evasive actions or risk tripping.

Diarra leaped over an arm. "I'll watch Theron and Amaranta…" she paused, and glanced back to me. "Maybe I could try to make allies, like Tonpa-san. That would be helpful, yes?"

I nodded, impressed by Diarra's ideas. I would focus on simply passing the exam, and she would handle the diplomatic issues. For a twelve year-old, she was pretty smart, and strategic, too - way more than I was at her age, anyway. Probably more than me now.

"Be careful," I ordered.

 _And don't pick Hisoka._ I didn't have to tell her that.

With a small nod of acknowledgement, Diarra sped up and eluded another falling man. Within seconds, she was hidden behind a group of applicants - no, Examinees. The Exam had already begun.

I sighed, feeling very lonely, and nervous. For the both of us.

* * *

Despite all of my training, I was dog tired by the time I finished the stone steps. A few minutes earlier, my eyes were joyfully, and painfully, blinded temporarily by a glaring light from the tunnel. It meant the Examinees were being led outside of the tunnel, which was a wonderful thought.

When my sight had adjusted, I could clearly see that the light was an opening, a doorway, atop a frightening flight of stairs. They made my calves burn, and bile rose to my mouth.

A little less than half of the examinees had failed, even though the constant bodies I had to avoid made those statistics seem much higher. From the time since we had split up, I only saw small glimpses of Diarra's bouncing ponytail as she ran, admittedly much further ahead of me. She always had more speed and stamina than I did, and the training had only increased the gap, even though my speed and stamina increased too; She learned at a ridiculously faster rate than me.

My sight whitened into nothing again when I finally stepped out of the dark tunnel, and I spent several moments squinting. I was also breathing pretty hard, and a layer of sweat coated my skin. I redid my hair's bun when I noticed the stray strands. It felt to heavy, and its weight bothered me.

When I had recovered from the blinding light, I saw a vast forest - no, a jungle - stretch out into the horizon before me. Birds and other animals that I'd never heard before chattered eerily, creating a dark atmosphere. Something definitely was off about this jungle, and the feeling of dread overpowered my usual curiosity. Not all of the people behind me had arrived through the door yet, but all of the examinees who were ahead of me were scattered about in the opening clearing, which lacked all of the strange trees. The Examiner, Satotz, appeared perfectly fine. He wasn't even winded in his tuxedo. Even Zeno would have found this insane, and he had taken the exam before.

Before I even thought about it, I was scanning the clearing for Diarra. Even if she wasn't ready to stay glued to my side yet, I figured being somewhat closer to her would be a good idea, just in case we needed to reconvene.

Just as I thought she would be, Diarra was occupied conversing with other examinees. I contemplated approaching her, but just decided against it. A felt like a motherly hen.

I _did_ wander towards her direction, however.

As I grew nearer, I saw she had been speaking to two boys her age. I blinked to make sure my sight wasn't still messed up; Yes, two little boys, about age twelve. There seemed to be a lot of little kids here, didn't there? One seemed slightly familiar, but I couldn't quite place where I'd seen him. The other I had never seen in my life.

The first thing I noticed about the first boy's appearance with the fishing pole strapped to his back (if we had a survival test, I reminded myself to attempt an alliance with him - well, I guess Diarra was one step ahead of me). His black hair was spiked up to almost impossible heights, and it made him much taller than Diarra. His brown eyes were large and kind, and his grin was contagious. I decided that I liked him right away, but the boy next to him I didn't much care for.

His hair was odd silver, like Amaranta's, except much lighter. He seemed bored, and a little arrogant, like he didn't really want to be there, but he was because he was doing everyone else a favor. His demeanor faintly reminded me of someone.

His clothes were ordinary, but other than his hair, he stood out because he casually gripped a skateboard under his arm. Why anyone would choose bring that was beyond me.

I've spent my whole life being taught to never judge a book by its cover, and yet... Jakarran would call me a not-so-nice name. I deserved it; I always did, if it came from _her_.

Other than their similar age and the fishing pole, I couldn't think of a reason why Diarra would pick these two out of a crowd. They were just so young. What help could they be to us? I decided to trust Diarra's judgment, though, and I still felt a seed of doubt in my heart.

Scanning the crowd once more, I finally saw Theron and Amaranta 'lying low' behind a small crowd of men. No one seemed to notice them.

Reut was very visible with her red hair, but she didn't seem to be causing any trouble. It was Tatiana and Keoni I was worried about. After their entrance, a group of five men, all dressed in similar green outfits, shadowed them wherever they wandered. Every once in awhile they would pretend to make kissing noises and tease them, as if they were actually original and funny jokes. I thought they got old very fast.

* * *

After several moments of standing around, my attention was immediately caught by Satotz, who was placed at the front of the pack of examinees. His hands were folded neatly and his spine was straighter than a tree, and I wondered how he did it. I guess the Second Phase should be starting right about now, although I didn't see another examiner.

"The Numere Wetlands," he introduced, "Also known as the Swindler's Swamp. We must cross these wetlands to reach Phase Two of the exams." I gasped in surprise; along with several of those who were near me. The First Phase wasn't over? I returned my eyes upon the 'wetlands', gulping in intimidation. The trees and fog mixture looked like an ocean, not an ending in sight. They stretched _far_ beyond the horizon. Just how many examinees were they planning on eliminating in the first Phase alone? It didn't even seem like _I_ would make.

 _Thinking negatively will give you a negative answer_. I shook my head to clear it.

"This place is home to many bizarre animals; many of them being cunning, insatiable creatures who deceive humans and prey upon them," Satotz resumed, his voice remaining ever steady and monotonous. "Be very careful. If you let them fool you, you're as good as dead."

Many of the remaining examinees displayed shock and nervousness, me included. Focusing on running _and_ deadly beasts would definitely prove to be a challenge.

Without warning, a whirring sound sputtered to life as the exit's lid began to roll shut; much like the wall from the original cavern when it had rolled open. A deep feeling in my gut gnawed at my stomach when a poor man, crawling on his hands and stomach, reached out for assistance from behind the rapidly closing door. He begged the examinees on the other side to help him, and then he pleaded to the Examiner to hold the door. My hands itched to reach out and grab him quickly, even though I had never met him, because his cries were so desperate and despairing.

When the door finally clanked shut and silenced his wails, I closed my eyes for a brief prayer before doing my best to forget about him, just as everyone else seemed to have done. I noticed Theron hadn't even bothered to turn to him to look.

Satotz didn't miss a beat. "These wetland creatures will use every trick in the book to fool their prey. An ecosystem in which creatures obtain food through deceit; Hence the name Swindler's Swamp. Stay close to me if you don't want to be deceived," he finished, allowing everyone who had been sitting on the ground to gather themselves and rise.

"Don't let them fool you!" A loud, desperate voice exclaimed. Everyone whipped around. Emerging from behind the sealed mouth of the tunnel was a haggard man in tattered clothing. He was breathing heavily, and he appeared as if he couldn't walk correctly.

"D-don't fall for it," he gasped, staggering forward. No one moved due to their uncertainty. "He's lying to you! He isn't an examiner, I am!" He accused with a strength I didn't believe he could muster. Murmuring rippled through the crowd, revealing everyone's confusion and uneasiness.

"Take a look at this," the man ordered, dragging something large and heavy into my field of sight. My eyes widened. In his clutches was a tall, pink haired, mustache wearing... monkey? Yes, a monkey with brown fur and body, and a human face, which looked almost identical to Satotz, save for the wide open mouth, pointy fangs, and lolling tongue. I tensed up and narrowed my eyes, glaring between our 'examiner' and our 'imposter'. _What in the name of Hell is going on here?_

More and more accusing shouts erupted from the crowd, uncertainty clear in everyone's faces.

"It's a Man-Faced Ape, one of the creatures that dwell within the Numere Wetlands!" The newcomer elaborated further. "They love the taste of fresh human flesh. However, their limbs are long and thin, so they're quite weak."

Realization hit me, because for some unknown reason, that particular sentence stood out to me.

"That's why they disguise themselves as humans. They trick humans into following them into these wetlands, where they team up with other animals to kill and devour them. He intends to trap every single applicant!" The man finished boldly, pointing an accusing finger at Satotz.

The next moment, in a very odd coincidence, I find my gaze directly straight into a pair of caramel brown eyes. _Theron..._ We shared a knowing look and I no longer have any doubts.

" _However, their limbs are long and thin, so they're quite weak_."

 _If Satotz were weak because his limbs, his legs, how could he possibly have ran ahead of every single examinee without so much as even quickening his breath?_

And if he were really attempting to lead us into the Swamp to eat us, why would he warn us of deceitful creatures beforehand? It would be a hundred times easier to just lead everyone into their layer and not have them suspect a thing. No one would be able to fight back, and no one would stand a chance.

This must have been part of the exam. I noticed several people remain collected and cool, and others turned completely furious. Examinees shouted and threatened Satotz, drawing nearer and nearer to him with each second.

"Bastard," one man hissed, a dagger ready in his fist.

"We'll teach _you_ to try and trick us!"

Admittedly, I jumped and gasped in the next moment. My stomach churned and I began to feel ill. It was similar to the feeling I had back in the cavern, when Hisoka had transformed that applicant's arms into flowers. _Hisoka…_

No different than a soft breeze of wind, three playing cards lodged themselves into the newcomer's chest. I hadn't seen them coming. He collapsed with a thud, no longer responsive.

Time seemed to freeze. _What just happened?_

I found my disbelieving eyes on Hisoka. Chuckling like he had won a prize, he shuffled a deck of playing cards rather skillfully.

"I see, I see," he murmured, smirking. "That settles it... You're the real one," he deduced, referring to and staring at Satotz. I hadn't noticed it, so it came as quite a shock to learn that Hisoka had launched some cards at him as well. The difference, however, was that the cards were snatched up between Satotz's fingers when he caught them.

When our examiner, the real one, threatened Hisoka that he would fail him if he attacked him again, the Jester responded that he was just doing so to determine which man had been telling the truth, and that he knew such a weak attack wouldn't really kill a hunter.

 _'That's bullshit. He just wanted to kill that creature,'_ I thought, staring at the dead body. I was horrified, for that 'weak' attack would have killed me ninety-nine times out of one hundred.

* * *

I continued on in the front of the pack so that there was no way I would lose track of Satotz. I didn't want to end up like any old Man-Faced Ape. I only ran into trouble once, when I slipped on the dewy grass and rolled a few meter down a hill. I found myself face to face with a dead carcass, and immediately leapt to my feet and rushed to catch up with the examiner. Behind me, all I heard was a buzzing sound and tortured screams of fear and agony.

Just when I thought I couldn't go on any longer, the dense foliage and fog gradually began to vanish. Normally, when my spirits are lifted, some of my previous vigor returns and I gain a sudden burst of energy, but after running for so long, this was not humanly possible.

Satotz finally stopped in front of a large, secluded gate. The bricks were formed from sandstone, and shrubbery decorated the base. I instantly lowered myself on my bottom to lean against a tree in the soft grass and cooling shade. When my heart had finally slowed to a tempa that did not seem like it would burst, I sat up to scan my surroundings.

I instantly felt concern for Diarra when I could not find her, even though I reasoned she may have just fallen behind a little. She had been hanging around those two kids, after all, and they probably didn't have a lot of stamina.

I sighed and rolled my shoulders, noting how stiff they felt. Tatiana and Keoni were scattered about for sure, but I hadn't yet noticed Amaranta and Theron. I began to watch the pathway for Diarra in case she happened to run up any second, but this ended up causing more worry.

Easily trotting up the dirt pathway was the silver haired boy, his skateboard still tucked under his arm. Diarra was nowhere to be seen, nor was the other boy with black hair clad in green. Before I realized it, I had risen to my feet hurriedly and shamelessly approached him. I didn't think about what would happen if I accidently tore down whatever alliance or deal he had made with Diarra earlier, for all I thought of was learning what had become of my blonde companion.

"Excuse me," I started, stopping behind him. He tilted his head and gazed at me before fully turning around.

"Hm? What is it?" He questioned, as bored as could be. I resisted my ever-growing urge to give him a scolding (specifically about respecting your elders) and attempted to be as polite as possible.

"Earlier you were with a blonde girl, about your age..."

He blinked at me for a moment.

"Eh? You mean Diarra?" He asked, his face lighting up in recognition. I nodded and bit my lip nervously, wondering if something bad had happened.

"I was wondering if you know where she is," I finished lamely, feeling very awkward, much like a fish out of water. Diarra's presence was like my heartbeat. I was completely useless without her. She had taken all of my confidence with her.

The silver haired boy shrugged, but he didn't appear as disinterested as before.

"I have no idea where she went. We got separated," he admitted. Without warning, his gaze turned hard and calculating. "Who wants to know?" I tensed, feeling his threatening presence grow denser.

"I'm a friend," I assured him, making sure I made eye-contact. I was afraid that if I didn't he would think me to be lying. He relaxed his shoulders and lowered his eyes in disinterest.

"Nope. Don't know where she went. Later," he gave a blunt response, raising his hand slightly in a wave before disappearing in the crowd. I let out a breath and returned to my watch post, nervously awaiting my friend. What a brat. I would never get along with him in a million years.

Maybe he was just too similar to me, kind of in the same way that Zeno was.

My thoughts returned to Diarra.

 _What if she got lost? What if she was killed? What if she's like one of those corpses I ran into?_

 _What if-_

A warm hand landed on my shoulder, making me jump. I rolled up to my feet in a defensive stance, only to relax when I found myself face-to-face with Theron. Amaranta was directly behind her, silent. I saw a stony expression shared between the two of them.

They had come up behind me, and I hadn't noticed because I was so wracked with worry.

 _Diarra, I need you_.

What was Theron thinking? Weren't we going to ignore each other as long as possible?

Even though she had stayed quiet for about half a second, I thought I would never hear what she'd have to say. I somehow managed to memorize every detail in her face - a narrow nose, a tiny mole under her left eye, her single, stud earring in her right ear, the way the light reflected in her irises- before she even opened her mouth. Time seems to stop when you expect the worse.

I knew, just as I had been keeping an eye on _her_ , she had been keeping tabs on _Diarra_ and _me_.

She knew where my friend was, and she was about to tell me.

"Diarra is dead," she said at last.

* * *

Actually, that wasn't what she said. At first my ears and eyes had tricked me because that was what I had expected to hear. What she really said could have been considered worse, depending on how you looked at it. The way _I_ looked at it, it was worse.

"Diarra ran into Hisoka."

* * *

 **An: Sorry for the little trick. So, Finally caught up with the old story! The next chapter will be a totally new one!**

 **There are a few things I want to mention, just in case it wasn't totally clear. 1) No, Theron didn't actually say Diarra was dead. Haha, sorry! :) 2) Aris, for the most part, played the role of an extra in this chapter, while Diarra got to hang with the Canon Characters. I hoped you enjoyed it!**

 **Thanks for reading!**

 **~MaoIsSleepy**


	6. The X Apprentice X Slips

**Disclaimer: Hunter X Hunter belongs to the wonderful and highly respected Yoshihiro Togashi.** **This is for fan purposes only.**

* * *

Satotz stood as straight as a statue amongst the gathered examinees, waiting patiently for who knows what - probably the deadline for the first phase. I approached him, and breathlessly asked if I would be eliminated should I leave the garden that the first Phase had ended in.

"So long as you are back here when the second Phase begins, you may go wherever you please," he answered kindly.

I forced myself to say a quick thanks before dashing off the way I had come nearly twenty minutes ago.

" _Diarra ran into Hisoka."_

I passed other Examinees, the ones that hadn't arrived with the leading crowd, as they reached their destination. Most of them were too preoccupied with themselves to notice a girl running against the flow of people, but I did receive one or two glances.

I didn't have to worry about unwanted eyes for too long; in no time at all, the fog at reappeared. It started at my ankles and further engulfed me the further I ran. I was invisible. The only things that I could make out were shadows and the brightest of colors, so that meant that no one would notice me. But the fog was also working against me; I would have a difficult time spotting Diarra. My greatest chance of finding her would be to follow the screams.

Hisoka was probably causing them.

My foot caught on something beneath the fog, and I tumbled. My hair and clothes snagged as my body slide downwards when I failed to find something grabable. The earth shifted under my slipper - it was mud, slick and wet. I managed to keep off my side, thankfully, or my white robes would have been dirtied, but my feet were nearly submerged.

I stood from my forced squat.

The nature of fog forced it to constantly look for lower ground. In the air around me, it poured like water, into a circle that was about thirty feet across. The rising dirt walls above me were visible where the fog flowed and thinned, but the fog was twice as thick at the bottom.

I had slipped into a pit. The walls went to about my shoulders, and if it weren't for the mud, I would have been able to simply climb out. From halfway across the circle's edge, I spotted a system of unearthed roots protruding from the mud, a young tree just at the top of the ledge. It must have have gotten caught up when the pit was formed. I made my way for it, sticking close to the sides, where it was easier to see.

And then I stepped on something soft, and yet more solid than mud at the same time. I almost screamed at the disturbing texture, but I managed to choke the noise back down. I didn't want to attract any killer animals, especially when I would be trapped. I was an easy target.

I waved a little of the fog away, huffing in annoyance. It swirled away briefly before returning to its original position.

I caught a flash of red within it, underneath me.

Immediately, I dropped to a squat, flailing my arms to clear the wretched fog. Something cold seeped into my heart.

Tears leaked from my eyes as I cradled Reut's little red head in my hands. Her fair skin was even fairer, and spotted with dried mud. Her lips were blue, and her cheeks were cold to the touch. Her entire backside was moist with mud, where she floated in it like it was water.

She didn't move. She had no heartbeat.

I sat for several minutes like that, trying my hardest to stifle my cries. A few ripped themselves out, but I otherwise succeeded. Salty tears dried on my face when I took too long to wipe them away.

I took a deep, shaky breath.

"I'll get you out of here," I promised in a whisper. It took very little effort to fling her over my shoulder, her clean front against my body. Cool mud dripped from her hands and onto my shins, tickling me. She weighed hardly nothing.

Despite how light she was, I had still lost one of my arms to use for scaling the side. The roots would be too difficult to use now. I thought about throwing her over the ledge, but almost vomited.

I couldn't treat her like a body. She was still Reut. I had to carry her, like I was saving a princess from bandits.

I needed something that slanted upward, so I could push down on it, not something that slanted down, which would force me to pull my entire weight with muscle alone. The roots stretched down, the wrong direction and angle.

It suddenly dawned on me that Reut had four different swords strapped to her. I felt around; both of her hipped blades were missing, scabbard and all, most likely gone forever in the ocean of mud, but her twin Dao blades were still across her back. With awkward tugs and shakes, I managed to unsheath one of them. It was beautiful, the silver metal still spotless, protected from the mud in its casing. WIth a quick trust, I lodged it into the muddy wall of the pit.

I pushed down on it, simultaneously kicking my foot into the wall for more hold, but to my utter disappointment, slide back down to where I had started. The Dao blade was curved, and when I had added my weight, it wiggled and widened the opening it protruded from, sliding further and further down. I started over, this time with the scabbard on, hoping that a duller and thicker edge would keep it from shifting. It helped some, but the point just got pushed further down.

I needed something long and straight. Her Buccaneer blade had been curved, also.

But her _Katana_ was straighter than a stick.

I returned to where Reut's impression was slightly indented into the ground. In a frenzy, I began to kick. Mud flung into the air, but I didn't slow.

There was a clank, and then something cylindrical - no, rectangular, just caked in brown - rolled through the mud. I kicked at it again, this time locking down its location. It was definitely one of her swords, but was it the right one? It was difficult to tell, when I couldn't bend past the waist, and I could only see half of it.

I refused to put Reut down in filth.

After several tries, I managed to raise the hilt to a reachable height by slipping one foot under the middle of it, and then using the other to step on one end. It flipped into the air.

I missed it the first three times, but the on fourth try, my hand found it's middle.

It seemed funny to me; four was a sacred number in Templism. There were four cardinal directions, four elements, four seasons, and four Army Temples. It was why there were four apprentices, why we worshiped four Saints in our scriptures, why all Temples and Chapels had been built with a square base, or rather, a _diamond_ base. It was why Reut's _name_ had four letters. I used to think that perhaps my parents had done the same for me, and had christened me Aris because it was a beloved name, but then Jakarran had told me that my parents had not been Templists when, or after, they had given me away. I had just told myself that I was _meant_ to be given to the Temple. It was fate.

The Katana was slick, and I almost dropped it.

I began a brand new hole, shoving the Katana and its scabbard into the wall as far as I could in one go. It was halfway in, slanted towards the sky.

With the youngest Apprentice draped over my shoulder, I hefted myself over the pit's edge, using the sword as leverage. I rolled over onto the grass, using it's natural cleanliness to clear mud from Reut's face and hair.

I could barely handle looking at her, but after several minutes, the terror and denial faded away.

Reut was dead.

She was lifeless, empty. It was just a body.

She was not my first body. Part of my training had included visiting the Temple Dungeons. There were very few prisoners, because no one challenged the Temple these days, and in the Southern Temple' territory, there had only been two.

Zeno had taken me and Diarra there, after an hour's run; there was no room for cells at the actual Temple. The Dungeons were in a secluded and fenced off area within the Temple's territory. It was completely underground, a wooden trap door its only entrance.

One of the men imprisoned inside never spoke during our entire visit. The other did the opposite. He spewed such awful and sexual things at me that I cried. Zeno made us leave the first time, and the second time, when I had cried again, but the third time, he put a knife in my hands and told me to kill him.

I wasn't going to do it, although I still took the knife. I argued with Zeno, saying any and all life was precious.

"A Holy Priestess would never kill someone. We _forgive_ them." I turned to the mouthy prisoner, fully intending to drop the knife to the ground and smile kindly.

But he roared with rage and spit at my feet, still straining against his shackles. And then he said, his eyes glazing over with a strange grin, "I bet your whore mother never loved you, you bastard."

I don't remember anything but black, and then my eyes focused and I found blood on my hands and neck. The prisoner's throat was gaping open, and he was gurgling. Crimson bubbles popped in his gaping mouth.

I vomited when I realized what had happened.

Zeno rubbed my back and neck. "Killing is awful."

I agreed with him. For once, I didn't yell at him and blame him for forcing such a task on me. He hadn't really made me do it. I had done it because I wanted to, because that man had hurt me and I wanted to get him back. Maybe it was less than that; maybe I just hadn't wanted to disappoint Zeno.

"But I want you to know something," Zeno said, pulling my hair away from my face so my putrid stomach acid would not get in it. "Death happens every single day, by the millions. One more death is no more significant."

I whimpered and spat onto the ground until the sour taste was distant. And then I saw the other body.

The quiet prisoner, who I hadn't noticed wasn't breathing because he had never spoken before, was still, a red line across his pale throat. I screamed and cried even harder.

There was blood on the knife in Diarra's hands. Her eyes were dark and sunken in.

I later found out that she had been given a similar task; kill the prisoner, even if he was kind or innocent. Kill for your master.

Zeno took us outside, and the events that had taken place in the dungeon seemed almost like a dream. There was a brook nearby, so Diarra and I washed the blood off. Neither of us spoke.

When I had finished, I sat on a log and let the forest sounds bombard my ears. A fly landed on my hand, but I remained frozen.

Zeno rolled his eyes at me. I wondered what happened to the gentle friend in the dungeon. I guess he'd lost his patience and decided he needed to stop coddling me.

"Here's the thing, Whimp. Death happens. But you'll notice very soon that the living keep on living."

I turned away from him, determined to be silent.

And then the biggest shock of the day occurred; my heart kept beating. After an hour, I was hungry again. The birds still chirped and the cicadas sang. Back at the Southern Temple, I overheard two trainee's sharing a joke, and I laughed along with them.

Death was everywhere, and it happened all the time. But life goes on. That was probably the most important lesson Zeno had taught me.

When I killed my second prisoner, someone transferred from the Central Temple, I learned the next most important thing; After the first time, killing gets easier.

I had seen a few bodies before. And Reut was cold and dead at my side. I had given her the respect that many did not get after they passed; she wouldn't be floating in a pit of mud, and she was clean.

I prayed for her, and tried to do what the living did best. I tried to live on.

It was tough, just leaving her there. I was close enough to the route Satotz had taken, so maybe he would find her. If not, she would eventually be eaten, or maybe rot and become part of the grass. But I couldn't just bring her back to the clearing with the waiting examinees.

And as I stood to leave, All I could see was Reut and her Godfather, laughing and running, getting in trouble, eating all the Delegates' Dinner rolls without remorse, and I thought how much harder living on was when you knew and loved that person.

So I allowed myself something that Zeno would probably frown at; I leaned back over the edge of the pit, lying on my stomach, slipped my hand around the hilt, and pulled the Katana free from the earth. It required more force than I had anticipated, but gave way.

With my nose in the ground, I saw a wild dog slip and fall across the clearing. I froze, afraid that movement would give me away, hoping that the fog would hide me.

It had probably smelled me, or Reut's body, and had come in search for food. Still frozen, I watched as it circles the pit three or four times.

I didn't want it to see me, and I didn't want it to bark. Noise just screamed like a bad idea at this point. However, I couldn't find an opening in which to slip away in, so I observed as it sniffed the roots.

I had thought I had been very smart, finding that patch of roots, but I guess that even a dog could've found them.

Slightly annoyed, I prepared myself to wait until it climbed over the edge and ran off before I tried to flee. If it saw me before then, I planned to throw Reut's body at it to distract it.

' _Or_ ,' I thought, glancing at the weapon in my cramping hands, ' _I could just kill it.'_

A dog would have been an easy kill, compared to a person. I should have considered using the Katana right away. Zeno must have instilled 'Flight over Fight', or 'Stealth over Confrontation' in my bones a little _too_ well.

It turned out I would never have to worry about how to deal with the dog. The moment it bit down on the roots, a gaseous purple cloud engulfed it from behind the wall - no, from the _roots_ themselves.

I stifled a gasp.

The dog whimpered, stumbled about, and finally collapsed with a twitch. It was dead within seconds.

And then the roots moved.

They were like snakes, slithering, wrapping themselves around the dog's leg. It was dragged a few feet, but suddenly one root snapped, and the others released the carcass and retreated back into its home.

It would wait until the heavy body decomposed enough so the roots could lift it, and carry it to wherever it needed its nutrients. Meanwhile, it would attract other hungry animals with the smell of dead meat.

It suddenly occurred to me that I had found Reut near the roots as well.

The entire pit had been a trap laid by a tiny, moving, _living_ , carnivorous tree.

I shot like a bullet to my feet, Reut's Katana in hand, and dashed back to the path that I had originally fallen from, all thoughts of stealth thrown out the window. A long shadow from beneath the fog zoomed toward my ankles, and I was thankful I had been as quiet as a mouse the entire time. If it knew I hadn't fallen for its trap, it would have attacked me before I had a chance to jump out of the pit.

I full-on sprinted and leaped over Reut like a deer. The roots snapped to a stop behind me; they had reached their limit, and could go no further.

Then they started to turn on Reut.

She was bigger than the dog, so they only managed to drag her for a foot before they broke, but I'd be damned if I'd like it take her away when she had decomposed a little more. I was already letting her down too much, leaving her in the swamp. If anything was going to eat her, it would not be the thing that killed her.

I marched back, whacking and smashing the roots that had reattached themselves on her wrist and ankle, using the Katana to extend my reach. They coiled back like a worm being impaled on a fishing hook.

Then I hoisted her up like the princess she was and carried her back to the path Satotz had taken. I suddenly remembered tripping over _something_ before I had initially slipped into the pit. I wondered if I had been tripped on purpose; I _had_ been within the Roots' range. After what I had just seen, it didn't seem like too far of a stretch to think that the roots tripped nearby animals and forced them into the pit.

I found a nice, soft patch of grass and lowered Reut down over it.

Templist customs called for blessed ash to mark the deceased. I had no ash, only mud. I painted a diamond, split into four triangles, on her forehead. Then I stood and said goodbye.

I left her there.

* * *

I was forced to return to the gardens with a heavy heart. I had not found Diarra, which was the entire reason I had gone out in the first place. But one look at the darkening sky, and I knew I had wasted too much time with the pit. If Diarra had lost her life so that I could become the High Priestess, and I failed because I had been looking for her, she would haunt me for the remainder of my life. I prayed to the Heavens that she had finished the first Phase while I had been away.

Satotz noticed me arrive, took one look at my face, and then one at the muddy sword in my death grip. He did not say anything, and I was grateful.

I turned to him, suddenly very tired. "Can I ask for a favor, Satotz-san?"

His eyes crinkled like he was smiling, but no mouth magically appeared to match it. He nodded.

"Will you ask the Association to recover examinee number 298's body?"

Satotz rubbed his chin. "Hmm, the Association will most likely not assist you, in order to avoid any accusations of favoritism from the other examinees."

My face fell. Reut would be eaten, or lost, for sure.

Satotz put a hand on my shoulder. "But I will personally see to it that Apprentice Reut will receive a proper burial."

A thanks could not leave my lips fast enough.

"The second Phase is starting now," he said. And with that, he bounded back into the fog. I watched him vanish with admiration and tears in my eyes.

It hadn't occurred to me that the Examiners would know who we Apprentices were, but I supposed it made sense. Perhaps the Bishop had asked for regular updates on our status. It wouldn't surprise me, if he had.

But I didn't believe our social status was the reason Satotz had agreed to help Reut; she was a little girl. She shouldn't have been here.

I noticed Theron right away, drifting by the edge of the gathered crowd. She was watching me with her arms around her torso like she was hugging herself.

She knew what it meant that I'd have Reut's Katana. She was mourning.

Amaranta, too, looked regretful. She probably hadn't known Reut well at all, despite their closeness in age, but it was still heartbreaking.

Someone from our Temple Home was gone.

I made my way through the crowd of examinees, somewhat relieved when none looked my way. A flash of blonde hair made me nearly cry with joy. Diarra was patiently waiting with the two boys from before, their backs to me. A man in a suit and a boy in white accompanied them.

Diarra must have been hard at work, making even more alliances. I was so thankful she was there, alive, and unscathed.

If Diarra had died instead of Reut, I don't think I ever could've moved on.

I wondered if she really had run into Hisoka at all? If not, why would Theron lie to me? To get me to fail? Or, if she was telling the truth and Diarra just simple escaped, why did she warn me? We weren't a team. We weren't in this together.

Diarra seemed preoccupied with a conversation with the fishing pole boy, and she probably hadn't felt a panic attack if she couldn't find me, so I wasn't in a hurry to run to her side and tell her all that had happened. She looked so happy, like an actual thirteen year-old, and it made my heart hurt. I let her stay that way for a few moments more; it wasn't like she wouldn't find out soon, anyway.

Besides, approaching her would have been difficult. The silver haired kid had finally turned and noticed me through the crowd of people. I felt more than saw his eyes land on the muddy Katana.

I had foolishly revealed myself to him, and now he could see me. Now he knew I had a connection to Diarra. He probably thought we were up to something insidious. Or maybe I was imagining the whole thing. Afterall, he was just a kid.

I shook my head. Diarra was the same age, and she could kick my butt to Timbuktoo. And if she wanted an alley in him, he must have been special.

I watched him lean in and whisper inaudible words in Diarra's ear. I tried not to watch as her body tensed and she shot her eyes in my direction.

She looked worried, even more so when she saw me. I was, despite my greatest efforts, completely caked in mud from my knees down. The Katana was strapped to my hip, the mud now dried and chipping off in chunks.

I gave a wave and a tired smile, and she gasped when her questioning gaze hit my hip.

I wished I was close enough to talk to her, so I could have broken her the news properly, but she pieced my sorry state and the sword together. She turned whiter than a ghost and her knees turned wobbly. All I could do was bow my head to confirm what she already knew. Her mouth was in an 'O' formation.

And, much to my chagrin, the skateboard boy must have taken her negative reaction to involve simply me, somehow. He took a casual step back with his hands in his pocket, the skateboard and his torso hiding my blonde Acolyte from my line of sight. He did so without so much as glancing at me. In retrospect, that was a much more desirable reaction than it could have been. Instead of being suspicious of Diarra _and_ me, he was only suspicious of me. That meant, if he trusted her enough, she could still put in a good word for me. Some sort of truce - an alliance, if we were lucky - was still salvageable. And Diarra was much too invested in this group to swap them out at that point.

However, at the time, possessive me was seething from his actions.

Now I was annoyed. But also a little paranoid.

 _Just who the hell is this kid?_

* * *

 **AN: Wow! Finally, a totally new chapter! Thank you so much for reading!**

 **This was a fun chapter to write, and it's honestly one of my favorites, which is weird, because someone died.**

 **Special thanks to faded. ember, YuYuHakushoObsesser, and** _ **havantitiana!**_

 **I really appreciate it, guys!**

 **Thanks again!**

 **~Mao**


	7. The X Apprentice X Leaps

Menchi and Buhara were an odd pair. Menchi was beautiful without a doubt, but next to Buhara's kind and gentle soul, she was…

Well, I couldn't call her a bitch because Jakarran would pinch my ear until she pierced it, and I could wear earrings.

But if I thought their appearances were odd, their occupation was even more so. I had never heard of Gourmet Hunting until then, and, quite frankly, I did not care to hear about it.

The High Priestess would never in a million years cook for herself. Her duties were much more important than to nourish her own body. Besides, half of the time she wasn't fulfilling her duties to the Temple, she was fasting. So truly, Gourmet Hunting was completely obsolete in my book.

Yet despite my opinion, I would never be foolish enough to say such a thing aloud. Menchi was still an Examiner, afterall.

Todo the wrestler did not have enough social couth to understand he was setting himself up for failure. Hadn't Tonpa told me he was actually smart?

Unfortunately, by the time Menchi had finished explaining the Second Phase's challenge, and Buhara had chosen the ingredient, the green haired vixen was royally pissed off.

"Where the hell would I find a wild pig?" I muttered under my breath, following the dispersing examinees out of the gates I had entered twice. The forest was, thankfully, not foggy, or a swamp.

I noticed some examinees brushing by bushes and glancing behind trees. WIth nothing else to try, I mimicked them.

"Here, Piggy, Piggy," I called. No pigs came to me.

I found no potential pork, but I did manage to discover a small creek. I wetted the skirt of my robe and rang it out in an attempt to salvage it. Once cleaned, it was still slightly brown, which was quite obvious next to my pristine top. There was mud on my cheeks, arms, stomach, and shins as well. The water was refreshingly cold and clear.

Next, I gripped Reut's Katana by the hilt. When I unsheathed it, I pleasantly discovered that not a single drop of mud had found the silver of the blade. I could see my burgundy eyes reflected back at me; they looked tired.

I splashed the scabbard with creek water until I could see no more dirt. I washed the hilt, and then returned the sword to its home. It was a well made piece of art; it was smaller and lighter than anything I had practiced with, but still sturdy. I imagined it had been designed personally for Ruet, too big for her at the time, but dwarfed enough, and she could've grown into it. I tried not to picture Reut as a young woman, smiling and vibrant and beautiful.

I toss the Katana lightly in my grip. It was balanced better than the practice swords, too. It was a one of a kind.

I went to strap it to my waist, only to discover that its belt couldn't fully enclose around my middle. I didn't have particularly wide hips, but they had gotten rather womanly lately. Belts were easily replaceable, but for now, all I could do was hook it over my shoulder. It didn't feel secure, and I had to constantly adjust it, but at least I wouldn't have to carry it in my hand.

I slipped back towards the other examinees. They were just as I had left them, cluelessly searching for pigs.

"Aris."

I turned.

Tatiana, Keoni holding her hand behind her, was shaking. She stood tall, with her shoulders back and her head high. But she was trembling with unshed tears.

I had never seen Tatiana any more emotional than marble, or stone - other than being angry, that is. The sight threw me into a swirl of confusion, and it took me a moment to realize what had happened.

I attempted to soften my gaze. She could recognize Reut's Katana, now that it was clean.

"When?" was all she asked. She sounded ill, and unusually raw.

"During the first Phase," I responded. My voice was monotonous to even myself. I closed my eyes. "One of the creatures in Swindler's Swamp - a plant... poisoned her."

And Tatiana's sad dark eyes hardened.

She said something I couldn't hear at first.

"What?" I asked, frowning in confusion.

"Liar." Keoni had said it, spitting fire. "We know what you did."

Tatiana was paler than a ghost. "I never thought that _you_ would… Aris, how could you?"

It hit me, then, that they thought _I_ had killed Reut.

"Wait, no! I'm not a liar," I gasped. "I wasn't even there when she died! All I found was her body!"

Keoni rolled his brown eyes. It was an action of annoyance that only came off as spiteful.

"Don't think we weren't keeping an eye on you and the others," he growled. "I _saw_ Reut _pass_ the first phase.

I was frozen in shock - mostly, now, because I suddenly remembered seeing her arrive in the courtyard too, safe and sound. My mouth moved, but no words come forth.

Tatiana had said something again. "I swear on my mother's grave - Aris, I won't let you become the High Priestess. I'll kill you, before I let that happen." She turned on her heel in a very 'Tatiana-like' way, her beautiful waterfall and classic braid combination nearly whacked me in the face. Keoni didn't spare me another glare, right behind her like a shadow.

I felt cold. But not because of Tatiana's last threat. I could handle a vengeful Tatiana.

Because Reut _had_ passed the first Phase. Which meant she had purposely gone _back_ into the swamp.

 _But why?_

What had happened to the littlest Apprentice?

* * *

I only found a pig because everyone else had - and I mean, _everyone_. They were ginormous, like elephants, with nostrils larger than Diarra, and snouts bigger than me. Their tusks may as well have been the white columns holding the Chapel up un the Central Temple.

And there were several dozens of them. And they were running - towards the examinees.

 _Stampede._

I ducked behind a tree while others ran past me. I hoped they would rush by, not notice me, and lure the elephant pigs away. However, one man noticed me, and apparently liked my idea.

Which may not have been a bad thing, if he hadn't decided to join me behind the same tree.

He waddled up to my side in a familiar way, and I recognized him as Tonpa, the kind informant who had set that terrible trap. He looked panic and winded. I lost all patience for him.

I hissed. "Find your own damn tree!"

His eyebrows shot up in surprise, apparently expecting my sweet demeanor from the cavern. "I can't!" he whispered back, glancing to check the other side of the tree. "It's too late! I'll be trampled for sure!"

I considered shoving him back into the open, but sadly, I figured it would still draw the pigs to this tree. They were on a rampage, searching for any living thing to kill.

I eyed the trunk. It was way too thin to hide both of us. I scanned up, noticing a few, lucky, low-hanging branches.

I shot Tonpa one last glare before readjusting Reut's Katana over my shoulder.

Then I climbed. It was easy, like climbing stairs; the tree was thick and strong, with lots of foliage to hide my presence, and lots of sturdy branches to pull myself up with. It was a simple, straight route to the top. Tonpa gaped anyway, apparently not expecting the sudden maneuver. Or my grace. Admittedly, I showed off a little bit.

The pigs were closer than I had thought. They were only a twenty second dash away.

A whistle caught my attention. I whipped my head to the side to find Diarra on the ground, a little less than four hundred meters away. A massive, pink body was behind her. She had managed to take down one of the pigs.

I was so absorbed in other happenings that I had nearly forgotten about the second Phase. I kicked myself. The Exam was my main priority. Not Reut, not Tatiana. What I needed to do was kill a pig.

Diarra had been able to find me from so far away, when I was purposely hiding; her skill gave me chills. She was waving and pointing between her eyes.

Her forehead?

I glanced down at the rampaging boars beneath me - oh. They had giant, nearly indestructible snouts, and they curved over their foreheads. Anatomically, it made sense; that must have been their armor for a weak spot.

From my vantage point, I could see other pigs had fallen. The examinees had picked up how to kill these behemoths, and the knowledge spread like wildfire.

One solid hit in the center of its forehead, and the pig would be down. I watched the ninja fellow leap high in the air to breach the pig's snout, and then he released a barrage of Shuriken. They hit, dead-center, and the beast collapsed.

My turn.

One had spotted Tonpa hiding behind the tree, after it had circled around and come the other way. It charged him, and I wasn't sure if he had noticed yet.

He saw it rather quickly, but he did nothing but swear.

I dropped, like a spider, from the branches and onto its head. I landed unsteadily, which was understandable considering the pig had reared like a horse in response to my weight. Thankfully, I managed to raise the Katana above my head and bring it down before it through my off. A decent scabbard was just as dangerous as its blade. The scabbard was _more_ than _decent_.

It was easy to slide off of the pig once it had dropped dead. I hit the ground, slinging the Katana back over my shoulder and dusting off my hands. Now onto the next issue: How was I going to carry this half a ton monster to my cooking station?

Tonpa, who was a tan man, looked pale beside his tree.

I eyed him, and then the giant, _heavy_ carcass, and him again.

"Considering I just saved your life, I'd say you owe me a favor," I said.

* * *

"This is _beyond_ awful. Have you cooked a single thing in your life!?" Menchi muttered, swatting my roasted pig away.

I hadn't, but I didn't tell her that. I watched with utter fascination as Buhara ate the whole thing in one bite, spitting out a pristine skeleton. In a daze, I wandered away from the examiners and found myself in the waiting crowd with the other failed examinees.

It suddenly hit me; I had failed. Menchi hadn't taken a single bite of my dish, just like all the others, and I hadn't passed and I wouldn't be-

I saw Amaranta, and then Theron be completely rejected. It was a blast of fresh air. And also a relief.

When Tatiana reached the front of the line, my mouth went dry. Her dish was ornamented with leafy herbs and pretty flowers.

Menchi actually took a bite.

I was hoping all three of us Apprentices would fail, since I had, but now Tatiana would be the High Priestess -

Menchi spat the bite onto the the ground at Tatiana's feet. "Ugh! You're pig was tougher than and rubber!"

I almost laughed when Keoni slipped from his spot in line behind her to discard his plate by his cooking station. If his fiance hadn't passed, there was no point for him to even try.

Tatiana was the most motherly of all of us, and combined with the knowledge of what plants were edible, she was the most qualified to pass out of _all_ the examinees.

Needless to say, not a single person passed the second phase.

It was definitely a problem that none of the Apprentices had become Hunters, and I was crushed, and also a little relieved. It probably meant that I would just spend the next year training with Zeno at the Southern Temple.

I missed it there; it had become my home. I wasn't sure that, if I were ever to become the Priestess, I was ready to leave it yet. Maybe failing had been a blessing in disguise, and next year, Diarra and I would come back, even more ready and prepared than this year.

Then a helicopter hummed in the distance.

* * *

I peered over the edge of the cliff, and sure enough, just as Menchi had said, I could see thick and grotesque webs. They formed a net, suspending large bird eggs over a raging river, a mile in the sky. Menchi was down there, with it.

Wind tousled loose strands of my hair, whipping me in my face. I'd have to redo it, soon, but Menchi's status was a little preoccupying.

I watched as she gracefully twisted in the air, an egg in her arms, and land like she hadn't just jumped off of a cliff.

She then said it was the examinees' turn.

The first one to jump was Fishing Pole Boy, and then Skateboard Boy.

And then Diarra. She dashed behind them, giggling, and my heart jumped up to my throat.

The moment I caught sight of her blonde ponytail swinging past me, my feet were moving after her. Diarra always made me braver. I couldn't do this if I wasn't with her. I slung Reut's Katana off my shoulder, tight in my grip, and sprinted so I couldn't change my mind.

She jumped, I jumped, and someone else jumped right behind me. I stuck my arms up, Reut's Katana angled horizontally, and Oh My G-

The sword caught a thick web, and I clasped my other hand around it, encasing the web in a circle. My shoulders burned at first, but when I relaxed after catching a glimpse of blonde in my eye, the pain vanished. The web continued to bounce and shake as, like a damn breaking, many other examinees leaped over the edge. My feet swayed and my stomach flipped

Jakarran once read to me about an old tradition the Temple used to practice. In a time before even her, the Acolyte apprentices were required to jump off the Chapel's bell tower and into the moat below, in order to pass their final exam and gain their title of Acolyte. The practice was disbanded due to many deaths or injuries, as the moat was a difficult target to hit. Supposedly, one in four missed.

"Do you remember The Leap of Faith?" I asked Diarra next to me.

"I can't say I do."

I gasped, as that was not my friend's voice. I looked at the person beside me.

He was the other boy in Diarra's group, the older blond one. He must have been the one to jump right behind me. He offered me an amused smile.

"Er," I said, embarrassed. My cheeks would have turned pink, but they already _were_ from the wind and adrenaline. "Sorry, I thought you were someone else," I finished lamely. I craned my neck, catching sight of Diarra almost directly above me. She had found a web to catch sooner than I had, then, and I hadn't noticed in the rush of the free fall. Fishing Pole and Skaterboy hung at her sides, very unconcerned with their current position. I thought I saw Skaterboy glance down at me.

"You're Diarra's friend, right?"

I looked back to the blond and felt my eyes narrow. I doubted Diarra would have told her companions about me without out letting me know she did. And if she _had_ told them, she could have just approached me, no need for sneaking around or waiting for us to rendezvous.

"Who?" I asked, like an owl. The boy looked like he wanted to roll his eyes. He didn't, but mirth leaked into his voice.

"The girl you've been staring at."

"I've no clue what you're talking about," I lied. I was proud of how genuinely confused I sounded.

Zeno, even, had admitted that my acting skills were better than _his_.

"It's because you're so dramatic," the General had once added, as if to cancel his compliment.

The boy raised an eyebrow, but didn't push me any further. He returned to focusing on simply hanging a mile in the air. He made it look easy.

Fishing Pole told everyone to wait. He could smell the wind when it moved, he explained. I decided to heed his words - mostly because Diarra did.

Two men didn't, and released their holds prematurely. They plummeted, and one was headed straight for me.

I cursed, swung my legs, twisted, and dodged him by a hair-width. I was left swaying, my heart pounding, as they fell, and keep falling.

If I had grabbed him instead of dodging, would I have fallen to my death, too?

Or would I have saved a life?

I shivered, but steeled myself. If I would have tried to catch him, I would have been forced to let go of the sword. I would have slipped, I was sure of it. It was impossible to keep Reut's Katana perfectly horizontal with just one arm.

Fishing Pole gave the signal.

I gave The Leap of Faith.

* * *

Once back, safely on land, I decided that the egg was the best thing I had ever eaten in my entire life.

And I wouldn't mind taking the leap again.

I shuffled onto the Airship, suddenly tired and sore. The adrenaline of the leap had completely drained from my veins, leaving behind torn muscles and stiff ligaments. As soon the examinees were released to do as they pleased, after the time for the third phase was announced for eight the next morning, I made a straight line for the pile of blankets.

I was exhausted. It was like the Trial of Tears all over again, except it _still_ wasn't over, and my nerves were still buzzing. I traced the scar across my eyebrow at the memory. It was rough like leather. It still struck me as unappealing, but it had become a part of me, a piece of my face. I wouldn't feel like myself if it wasn't there.

I had begun searching for a spot to sleep in - there were no rooms, or beds, even, for the examinees, so we were all forced to find a spot on the floor - when Tonpa approached me.

It was too late to act polite and unobtrusive, since I hadn't bothered with that façade in the second phase. Afterall, I had made him carry a giant pig carcass across a forest. That was definitely not polite.

"What do _you_ want?" I placed my hand on my hip, raising my eyebrow.

Tonpa flinched. "I just… Well you saved my life earlier, and… carrying that pig didn't seem like it was enough to pay you back."

He sounded genuine. But there was a feeling in my gut that was screaming bloody murder.

Jakarran once told me that a Liar could sniff out their own like a dog. And according to Zeno, I was a good liar.

"I guess you're still in my debt, then," I commented smugly. It was for the best if Tonpa thought I believed his sincerity.

He grinned kindly. "Yes, yes! Which is why I need to warn you - the exam might not actually start at eight."

I placed a hand on my chin, as if in thought. "What do you mean?"

"Think about it," he continued eagerly. "What if the third phase was really on this Airship?"

Tonpa theorized to me about the Examiners starting the exam early to eliminate more examinees. And it actually sounded kind of plausible to me.

But why would they try extra hard to eliminate examinees after Netero just swooped in the save them when Menchi had failed them all? It made little sense. Besides, they had already sort of used a trick like that, when Satotz hadn't exactly specified that the first phase was running to the second site, under after it had already commenced. I didn't expect the Hunter's Association to be one to recycle their strategies - they probably didn't _need_ to.

"I'll keep that in mind," I said, raising my hand as if to wave, and walked past Tonpa.

I was lucky enough to claim a corner spot. I could lean against the wall, and would only have worry about any sneak attacks from two directions as opposed to three. Not that I _was_ worried, but it never hurt to be cautious.

I felt a slight headache and began to tug at my hair. It was heavy, and leaving it up for too long of periods hurt my scalp. Running my finger through its full length was soothing.

I had not seen Diarra enter the lobby, but the older two of her companions, including the blond boy, were settled down by the wall across from me, a little to the left.

Fishing Pole and Skaterboy were nowhere to be seen, and since they had yet to be somewhere other than Diarra's side, I assumed they were with her, wherever she was. And if _I_ had figured that, then so would have the blond and the guy in the suit.

They didn't appear the least bit concerned. That calmed me some, and was probably the only reason I was able to close my eyes and fall asleep.

* * *

~Before the start of Phase One~

* * *

Tonpa fled. It was the only thing he _could_ do, since that damn Mountain boy had been able to detect something wrong with his 'celebratory' juice. He was lucky that group, as weird as they were, weren't blood thirsty, like Hisoka. Maybe they would have turned _his_ arms into flowers, for trying such a sly trick.

' _Still, there's something wrong with this year's rookies,'_ he mused. He thought about how the ever obnoxious 294, Hanzo, had ruthlessly rejected his offer of beverage. He could tell, then, that he was truly was no fool.

Applicant 301 cricked past him.

' _The needle guy. He just_ reeks _of peril.'_

He shivered and tried not to imagine himself being skewered in the neck like Frankenstein's monster by his needles.

Tonpa glanced to the wall of the cave, where a short, plastic-like boy sat. He typed away on his computer. Nikolas: the one who had _known_ about him, and his Rookie-crushing ways. Tonpa hated his guts.

He kept walking, making a mental list.

The brown haired girl he had spoken to - the one with the _long_ ponytail. - and her cute little friend, hadn't fallen for the bait, either. He didn't ween much information from them, just their names, Theron and Amaranta. Theron especially was utterly condescending, like she could crush him like a bug. He wondered if she could - her militaristic clothes (was she from the Templist armies?) told him she had combat experience. Her eyes were cold, and he had a hard time talking to her under the pressure of her glare.

He resorted to opening up to Amaranta instead, what with her quiet demeanor. Then he saw her eyes through her straight bangs, and immediately made a lame excuse to leave. He was frightened for his life. He never even _offered_ them juice.

Then there was that rich girl, Tatiana, and her whipped boy-toy, Keoni, who followed her like a puppy. Her hair was done quite prettily in a fancy braid, and her clothes told him she wasn't much of a fighter. She'd accepted his offered juice incredulously, took one whiff of it, named off some strange botanic terms, and then dumped in onto his shoes, calling him a peasant. He liked _Nikolas_ better than he liked _her_.

Curious, he read the ingredients off from the laxative wrapper. Tatiana had listed every single ingredient.

Tonpa had also spoken to that little red head with the crazily long and wild hair. She just screamed newbie, with her wide eyes and easily noticeable weapons. Tonpa thought he counted four swords, at least. That didn't mean she knew how to use them, however. But she refused the juice as well, however, much to his surprise.

"I can't drink soda," she had cheerily told him. "Grandfather used to say it made me too hyper."

During his inner reflections, Tonpa caught sight of a bare stomach. Intrigued, he saw a girl stretch and yawn. It was that boring girl. Aris? He had almost forgotten he had even spoken to her, which was strange for him, even though she had been one of the first rookies he had approached.

Her appearance was interesting enough: her clothing reminded him of a goddess who went a little ribbon-happy, the scar above her eye told an interesting story, and she was quite pretty, with deep reddish eyes. And her silky hair - there was not a strand out of place, not a cow-lick, and it fell like a sheet, some of it over one of her eyes. She _dressed_ like someone important.

But other than her appearance, she didn't really stick out to him. And talking to her had been like taking a bite of sandpaper. She was dry and _un_ interesting. The only reason she hadn't taken a sip of his special concoction was her diet.

Someone who _was_ interesting was the blonde girl, who had a spring to her step. Coincidentally, every time Tonpa had tried to approach her, she'd seemingly vanish behind a group of applicants. He never got a chance to talk to her. It was a shame, really. She had wide brown eyes that appeared intelligent, and they seemed to absorb everything.

A happy-go-lucky cheer formed into his name. He was startled out of his thoughts.

"Hey, Tonpa-san!"

He turned to see a boy with silver hair. Ugh. _This_ kid.

"Could I have more of that juice?"

' _Something is_ really _wrong the this year's rookies.'_

* * *

 **AN: I hope you liked the chapter! Aris finally met Kurapika (sort of)!**

 **I liked writing from Tonpa's point of view. It was cool to think about how his interactions with Theron and Tatiana went. XD**

 **Thank you for reading!**

 **Special thanks to faded. ember, YuYuHakushoObsesser, havantitiana, MortalLove17, and BeanerGoesRawr. You are all so, so amazing!**

 **~Mao**


	8. The X Apprentice X Lies

I awoke at five minutes to eight.

Leaping to my feet and slinging Reut's Katana back in place, I attempted to rub the sleep out of my eyes, without appearing too disgruntled. I probably failed. Luckily, barely anyone was in the room anymore to see me embarrass myself.

I somehow shuffled through the hall and off the Airship, following a few of those lagging behind, like me. There wasn't much for me to do to get ready for the day, except braid my hair, but that sometimes took an hour. I decided to let it loose today, and was glad I wouldn't have to face a headache by nightfall.

Phase three was hosted on a tower. Bean-san, the… man?... who was the designated announcer, specified it as 'Trick Tower'. We were allowed three days to reach the bottom. Bean-san disappeared with the Airship in the horizon.

' _Reach the bottom of the Tower'_. But there were no doors inside. And whoever attempted to scale the wall outside was snatched into the air by large bird monsters. I tried not to think about the man who was lifted away like a doll.

I did what I did best and copied the other examinees, all while keeping one eye on Theron and Tatiana, and the other on Diarra.

My Acolyte was with FIshing Pole and Skaterboy again. They chatted and stolled along the tiles, focusing on the floor they walked on. I wondered how close she had gotten to them - being _too_ attached wouldn't be a good thing. For one reason, even if I didn't become High Priestess, Diarra would still probably finish her Acolyte Apprenticeship and grow up to become one. She would spend her entire life in the Temple, and outsiders were not allowed on Temple grounds. She probably would never see the two - or four, if I counted Blondie and Suits - again, after the Exam was finished.

I figured Diarra knew what she was doing.

Theron vanished sometime during my musings. She was not the only one; I hadn't sensed Hisoka's intense presence for some time yet, and Hanzo the Talkative Ninja hadn't made a peep in over ten minutes. It seemed all the remaining examinees had figured to scour the floor for any entrances.

I got to work. It was easy to find one of the trap doors; I had started from a corner square and walked, one by one, until my foot sunk an inch into the floor. I stepped back, using my foot to test the waters again. It was definitely a trap door. It flipped along an axis like a bike pedal.

I tapped my chin. There wasn't much else to do with my discovery but jump through it. I partially kicked it open. All the was visible was black space. Was it a long drop? Would I be injured or killed?

I scanned up, noticing that Tatiana was missing as well.

I took a deep breath and jumped forward, bracing my knees for impact. If I hit ground, I would collapse my knees and then roll. It was all I could come up with for a plan.

Darkness encased me from every direction.

There was solid ground beneath my slippers before I had a chance to count my fall. Surprised, my knees buckled slightly, and I was forced into an awkward squat. I managed to keep myself upright with one arm, and then I let out a sigh of relief.

Well. I guess I had been worried over nothing. The fall had been no more than fifteen feet, which was child's play for anyone who had made it this far into the exam.

My eyes took their time adjusting to the low ambience of the chamber I had fallen into. A torch blazed on the wall, but it was barely enough to conquer the black.

There was a plaque on the wall. I straightened my legs and approached it until the symbols formed words.

'The five of you must follow the will of the majority to reach the goal,' it read.

Underneath was a podium with five watched displayed for my choosing.

I strapped a watch - not looking past the 'x' and 'o' options it presented me - onto my wrist, perplexed. So I would have to rely on others to join me - not the ideal situation. How long would it take for them to find the other four doors?

And, would they be people I could - even briefly - trust?

I found myself wishing Diarra and I never split up. Completing an entire phase while relying on complete strangers was the was counterintuitive to bringing an Acolyte along in the first place.

Stupid Zeno.

Or, maybe, if I was lucky, Diarra would just happen to find the nearby doors and join me, including three of her new friends. Ideally, FIshing Pole, Suits, and Blondie, since I wasn't a huge fan of Skaterboy. But beggars couldn't be choosers. Heck, as long is it was at least one familiar face, I would be able to handle three stranger.

If I had know this would be the case, I would have called Diarra over to my area to look for doors after I'd left. But I hadn't thought of it - I hadn't even realized there were other doors grouped with the one I had chosen. I kicked myself for not investigating further. I was just too excited about finding a door.

Tatiana was out of the picture, as far as possible companions went; she had already found her way in with Keoni, but that was okay, since they still believed I had killed Reut. I would have to correct that, when I saw them again. For now, they saw themselves as Holy vigilantes on the mission to stop me from succeeding.

Or maybe, since Theron had to be keeping an eye on me, she and Amaranta would notice I disappeared in a certain area and investigate. Even _they_ would be a preferable companion to stranger. I shivered. Of course, someone that I didn't know would still be better than _Hisoka_.

I checked my watch to distract myself from such a morbid thought. Half an hour had already passed while I had been on the roof, although it had only seemed like minutes. This problem did not stick with me long; stuck in a dark cavern with nothing to do but wait, the watch seemed to slow.

I sat and rested my legs, which still felt a tad noodle-like from yesterday. I tried not to glue my eyes to the moving time. It just made it move more slowly.

Another twenty minutes went by.

There was a scraping on the ceiling above me. Cautiously, and a little panicked, I stepped into the far corner, where the torch's light did not reach. If, say, Hisoka _were_ to join me, I would want to be prepared in advance, even if by a few seconds, considering someone like him would notice me right away. I slipped my grip around Reut's Katana, steadying my breath until it was quiet.

Zeno had once taught me that Stealth wasn't always about blending into walls. RIght now, it was.

I was glad he was good teacher, and covered a lot of ground.

White light briefly blinded me as four tiles flipped over at the same time - it was almost the entire ceiling, it seemed.

I guessed my eyes had been almost adjusted to the dim lighting, because it was almost completely black again when the sun was taken from me once more. I saw shadows fall, heard thumps on the stone floor, and even a grunt. But they recovered quickly and rose to their feet.

"That was a brief farewell," I heard a familiar voice muse.

"So all of the doors led to the same room."

I blinked, staring at Diarra's companions. Suits, Blondie, Fishing Pole, and Skaterboy. But no Diarra. May brain refused to process this new information. Since when did I get so lucky? The very people Diarra had been spending the whole Exam buttering up to just so happened to join me?

And if _they_ were here, where was Diarra? My heart sank, much like it had when Theron had warned me that Diarra had run into Hisoka during the first phase. For as responsible as that girl was, she was giving me heart issues.

The boys noticed the podium and plaque straight away, and they read it off. After, they strapped on their own watches.

Suits rubbed his chin. "It says, 'The five of you…'"

"Could it be that we won't be able to leave this room until another person drops in?" Blondie contemplated. He sounded a tad nervous.

Because who would want to place your fate in the hands of a complete stranger? I know I wouldn't.

Oh, yeah. They still didn't know I was with them. I hadn't thought to reveal my presence at the opportune time. I would have to reveal myself in a rather suspicious way - why would I hide if not for an ulterior motive? Diplomacy and trust were intricate dealings. One tiny, false step for someone as 'socially obtuse' (Zeno's words, not mine) as me may go unnoticed and thus untreated and then I would be alone with _strangers-_

 _And_ Diarra wasn't there to introduce me as her friend and extend their trust for her to me.

 _And_ I had told Blondie that I _wasn't_ her friend.

 _And_ _I_ was the stranger, not them.

 _Crap, crap, crap, crap._

In my inner musings, I had, once again, not revealed my presence.

A crackling noise signified that an intercom had been turned on.

"I am the prison warden here, as well the third examiner. My name is Lippo," a bodiless voice announced.

' _Prison warden?'_ I frowned.

Lippo continued. "There are multiple paths throughout this tower. You have chosen the path of Majority Rule."

That matched the plaque, at least.

"Cooperation will be key if you wish to clear this phase of the exam. One person's selfish behavior can derail an entire group."

I tensed. It sounded like Lippo was trying to _warn_ them about a strange group member. His words made even a girl with unbound hair, ribbons, and slippers sound like a threat. I didn't appreciate it.

"Best of luck!"

The intercom clicked off.

"So now we have to wait for another person? How long could _that_ take?" Suits growled, glancing at the ceiling where the voice had most likely come from.

Oops. I took a step forward.

A metallic clang caught everyone's attention. The wall moved to reveal a hidden door, another plaque above it, and a screen.

'Select 'O' to open, 'X' to not open.'

"But we don't even have enough people yet!" Suits cried, pulling at his hair in frustration.

Stupid me chose to make my entrance then. I tried my damndest not to stutter.

"Hello."

Four pairs of eyes landed on me.

Suits screamed, Fishing Pole 'Oh!'ed, Blondie blinked, and Skaterboy narrowed his eyes. I gulped, remembering two things at once.

First, Skaterboy knew I had some sort of connection to Diarra, but he thought I was a _threat_.

And, second, I had told Blondie I didn't know who Diarra was. I had been sloppy, and my stories didn't line up; so much for being a good liar. If I came clean and admitted I just wanted some harmless alliance, would they believe me? Would they be offended?

Did I make up another lie? Did I tell the truth?

I found myself lost.

 _Diarra, why couldn't you have come with them?_

"What the - ? How did you get down here without the four of us noticing!?" Suits yelped. I noticed he was a rather loud man.

Before I could answer, someone did it for me.

"She was here before us," Skaterboy eyed me. He had a half smirk on his face that said, 'I knew you were here the whole time, even though you were hiding. You can't sneak past me'. I suddenly forgot my nerves, more concerned with my annoyance. This kid was a real brat.

In a way that I was very accustomed to, I jutted one hip and crossed my arms. "What took you so long? I've been waiting for an hour," stupid, irked me snarked. It had only been fifty minutes since the start of the exam, but hopefully they would just think I was exaggerating instead of lying.

I flipped a long lock of my loose hair over my shoulder.

' _Not the best foot to start on.'_ I must have sounded like a brat myself. Diarra would have been mortified. Jarkarran would have slapped me upside the head, and Zeno would have just rolled his eyes. Or laughed. At me.

Skaterboy scoffed, unimpressed. "Want to explain why you were hiding your presence?"

I gritted my teeth. "I was just making sure you weren't a threat." It wasn't like it was a weird thing to do; anyone would have thought to do it. The other three boys shouldn't have found anything strange with my actions, either, but whether he was doing it on purpose or not, Skaterboy was painting a picture in which I was a bad-guy. Subtly, but undeniably.

Luckily, the others didn't seem to care. Or notice.

"Hello!" Fishing Pole waved at me. "My name is Gon!"

I blinked, because he was smiling so brightly that it almost came off as sarcastic.

Suits, who had seemed to calm down long enough to forget that I had surprised him nodded at me. "Yo. I'm Leorio." He closed his eyes in acceptance, a smirk on his lips, leaving me confused. What was he waiting for? Me to throw myself at his feet?

'He… Thinks he's attractive?' Oh. He was trying to come off as confident and cool, to show off for a girl. My scowl reappeared. He was way too old for me. 'So _not going to happen.'_ He wasn't my type anyway - the polar opposite of Zeno.

' _Wow, wow, wow, where did that come from!?'_

Blondie seemed to be the only other one to pick up on Leorio's implications. He sighed in exasperation, pinching the bridge of his nose like he had a headache. "I am Kurapika," he finally offered.

It was a weird name; I had never heard it before. Not that I had heard Gon or Leorio before, either. 'Kurapika' just had a different feel to it, like it was foreign.

I nodded and wiped my scowl away after I realized I was still using it. I should probably be more polite.

"I'm Aris. Nice to meet you, Gon, Leorio, Kurapika."

I turned to Skaterboy, who appeared bored and uninterested in me, waiting for him to give his name. I was pretty sure he knew what I was waiting for but was ignoring me.

Unfortunately, he would've been as cute as Gon if he wasn't such a brat.

"That's Killua," Gon introduced in his stead. Killua scratched his stomach and yawned.

"Yo."

I felt my eye twitch. _'If only he knew who I was.'_

How could _Diarra_ befriend someone so rude? Three years ago, his behavior would have given her a heart attack.

Zeno changed her.

Speaking of Zeno, Killua reminded me of him. Neither of them… _meshed_ well with me. They were both little shits.

I sent up a prayer forgiveness for my foul language.

' _Lord, if Jakarran could hear my thoughts…'_

When a heavy woman did not appear and smack me, I determined the Lord much more merciful than my Nursemaid.

"So, Aris, you're Diarra's friend?"

It was Gon.

I froze. The moment I had been waiting for; would I spoil the fruits of Diarra's labor, or have myself some comrades for the phase?

I almost asked who he was talking about, but quickly caught myself. I didn't need to lie anymore.

"Yes. We're like sisters," I admitted, and then promptly held my breath. I wondered why I had a more difficult time telling the truth than telling a lie.

Kurapika shook his head with a somewhat amused grin leaking through. "I'd thought as much."

He was referring to conversation we'd had hanging over our potential graves. I shrugged at him, admitting I knew that'd I hadn't been truthful to him, but not quite an apology.

"Are you that close?" Killua asked. It didn't sound very genuine; not that he _wanted_ it to. "That's funny - she's never mentioned you."

I sent him a little glare. "I asked her not to."

"What?" Leorio leaned in and scrutinized me, though not quite with the same level of suspicion as Killua. "That's stupid. Why'd you do that?"

I suddenly relaxed, a comfortable sensation in my bones. "I don't play nice with others, and Diarra wanted to socialize." The lie came easily. I knew from experience that the ones with the truth sprinkled in were the best.

It was unwise to tell them Diarra was purposely setting up alliances for me; it would make her seem untrustworthy, and they would question how much of their interactions were genuine or scripted.

Killua's eyes were still narrowed.

"I don't know," Leorio trailed off, "that still sounds fishy."

"Ask her a question," Killua suggested, like I wasn't right in front of him. "Something about Diarra that only someone close would know."

Leorio perked up. "Good idea! Er, but what should we ask?" The boys broke off into deep thought.

"I know," Gon grinned. "Where was she born?"

I flinched, because I knew the answer, but I didn't know if _they_ did. Crap.

If Diarra had not mentioned me, I can't imagine she told them anything about the Temple and my race to become High Priestess.

And Diarra's parents were both Acolytes. She had been born in the Temple's nursery.

I had been quiet for too long, and the boys were beginning to tense. Maybe they didn't think I was too threatening, what with my size, but if I had lied to them, then I must have had hidden motives. I was bad news.

I tried to sound confident. "She was born in Brisadulce." It was the town closest to the Southern Temple. I figured Diarra would say that over somewhere unfamiliar like York New City. We really didn't know too many city names, so I had little options to pick from, which made my job much easier.

I was met with a heavy silence.

"Nope," Killua shrugged. "That's not what she told _us_."

And suddenly Kurapika was crouching and Leorio had a knife, and -

Killua vanished.

Something pointy nicked my neck. I couldn't turn my head, but the voice in my ear told me he had reappeared behind me.

' _Zeno's Flash Step.'_ How the heck had _he_ done it? I couldn't even do it! And _where_ did he learn it? Zeno was a general in the Army, so his job pretty much called for it, but a kid?

"Give me one reason why I shouldn't kill you," Killua said, his voice steady.

Unnerved, and a little shocked, I opened my mouth to speak. No words came out on my first try, so I had to clear my throat and have another go at it.

"Because I wasn't lying."

The sharp object pricked my soft flesh.

"Diarra was born in the Central Temple; she's a Templist," I gushed, voice quivering.

The sharp object retracted, leaving my jugular slightly scratched.

"If you knew the answer," Killua crossed his arms, "Why would you purposely get it wrong?"

I gulped as he backed off enough to join Gon at his side. I couldn't feel my body; everything was just numb. I felt raw, and vulnerable. I hated it.

I lied again, this time with my posture. I didn't want him to know I was frightened and feared for my life. I didn't want him to think I wasn't strong. I jutted out my hip and put my hand in it. Killua and the others all seemed to be waiting for my answer.

"Because I didn't think she'd told _you_ the truth."

No one spoke. But I could tell from their faces that they were confused. Why would I think Diarra would lie to them.

Okay, I was _royally_ screwing this whole thing up.

Gon seemed stumped, Leorio confused, Kurapika contemplative, and Killua… He actually appeared a little offended, before it disappeared and was replaced by satisfaction.

I could see what he'd figured out. Diarra had not done what I'd expected her to; she had actually, truly, fully, gotten attached to these four boys. And she had told them the truth.

' _But why these guys?'_

Shamefully, I realized I had forgotten to worry about the beloved blonde.

"By the way," I spoke up, "Where _is_ Diarra?"

Gon answered me. "We found five doors and picked which ones we wanted to use randomly. I guess Diarra's led somewhere else."

I pursed my lips in my disappointment. At least she was safe.

"Now that we know each other's names and _affiliations_ , let's continue with the exam," Kurapika said, turning towards the nearly forgotten door.

I noticed he looked a little shaken, and wondered why. Leorio, too, was as pale as a ghost.

He was, quite obviously, keeping his distance from Killua.

Had the boy scared him when he'd gone for my neck?

I thought back to the sensation of imminent demise. What had he been using that was so sharp? I saw no weapon on him, only a skateboard.

I recalled Zeno once saying he sometimes preferred killing with his hands.

' _This kid is crazy strong,'_ I gulped. And, apparently, I hadn't been the only one who was just figuring that out.

Kurapika changed the subject by reading the rules for the door aloud..

I supposed that meant that they would trust me. For now. I turned for the door, quickly, eager to move on.

"Woah! That's a lot of hair!" Leorio exclaimed, his mouth on the floor. My cheeks flamed, and I shot him a glare behind me before returning my attention to the exam. Why'd he have to say it like a bad thing?

I selected an O on my watch, because I actually wanted to get out of that stupid room.

At least my eyes had adjusted to the light.

The results of the vote were displayed on the screen on the door.

 **O: 5; X: 0**

"That was easy," Leori smirked. He liked to talk, I noticed with little amusement.

I rolled my eyes. "Don't be a fool. It will get more and more difficult the further we get."

"Let's stay on our toes," Kurapika warned, completely ignoring the glares shot between me and Suits. He walked through the door, we followed, and soon after found the next door.

"Oi, another question so soon?" Leorio murmured, perplexed.

Gon read the sign. "Choose which way you want to go. O for right and X for left."

All five of us made our decisions relatively quickly, and punched in our answers.

 **O:3; X:2**

"Huh!?" Leorio cried."Why would you choose to go right!?"

"Chill out!" I snapped at him, already walking to the right. "It isn't rocket science. We picked different directions, and the majority of us said Right."

"But left makes more sense!" he defended himself, grinding his teeth and getting in my face, forcing me to stop. He towered over me. I put a hand on my jutted hip.

Boy, I did that a lot.

"Actually, I once read a study that indicated that people who are lost or stuck at fork unconsciously tend to go left," Kurapika mentioned.

Killua perked up. "I read that, too!"

"Wait, then the math isn't adding up! What did you pick, then?" Leorio interrogated.

"Right," Kurapika answered.

"Right," Killua said as well.

"Traitors," Leorio accused. I barely managed not to snort.

"Think about it," I rolled my eyes. "If the Examiners know people tend to take the left path, wouldn't they make it more dangerous?"

I, actually, had not read any such study, nor had I heard such a thing before. But my pride wouldn't let me say I selected right randomly. I felt better knowing he thought I used calculated reasons.

Leorio scratched the back of his head in thought. "Heh, I guess that would make sense."

He was using that confident voice he had when he introduced himself. Even though he had just said something stupid, he was still acting smug.

I scowled. Again. How could Diarra stand this guy?

We walked for a significantly longer time than after the first door. I thought it would be awkward and silent, but Suits made sure it was only awkward by moaning and grumbling every five minutes.

"When's the next door?" Leorio complained, for about the hundredth time.

I pinched the bridge of my nose, sighing in annoyance. "For the love of Saint Myrtle, stop talking."

"What was that!?" he turned to me, a fist raised, though thankfully _not_ like he was about to sock me.

I stared at him pointedly. "You've been talking the _entire_ time. It's annoying."

He ground his teeth. "No one asked for you opinion! Besides, you'd better watch what you say - you're on thin ice with us as it is."

I opened my mouth to retort - it _certainly_ wasn't to apologize - but was interrupted.

"Both of you, please, calm down." It was Kurapika. He looked like he had a headache.

I shut up, because so far the blond had been the most accepting, next to Gon, and I wanted to stay in his good graces.

He seemed to have some authority over Suits, too, because he didn't complain anymore.

We went on our merry ways for a while, and then Kurapika glanced back at me.

"I've been meaning to ask, Aris, but what happened to your sword?"

I blinked at him, utterly confused. I knew he had seen it on me before, when I had used it to catch myself on the web, but it was obviously still with me, on my back. I could feel its weight, so there was no way I could have dropped it and not notice.

"A sword? That's so cool," Gon chirped, bouncing on his feet.

I looked over my shoulder, Kurapika's question causing me slight concern. I saw nothing but black.

Oh. My hair, unbound, covered it like a blanket. I lifted up a strand to show them.

"It's here," I answered. I let the hair back down, and it took its original place. The scabbard's buckled strap blended in with the ties of my robe.

"Woah," Leorio whistled. Unamused, I crossed my arms and turned away from him.

"Jeez. You weren't lying when you said you didn't play nice with others."

Not long after we'd returned to walking, the scenery changed. The hallway walls widened, and suddenly we were in a room.

"Where are we?" Leorio wondered.

We had all come to a stop when the ground disappeared. We were in a cavern, with tiled walls and a bottom that was a long, long ways down. A square platform was situated in the center of the abyss.

"How would I know?" I grumbled, my arms crossed.

Killua nodded to the other side of the room. "Look over there."

I followed his gesture.

Four shadows stood, shrouded and chained. I was quickly reminded that Trick Tower was a prison. And every prison had its prisoners.

I probably should have seen this coming.

"The applicants have arrived," one prisoner bombed. "Remove the shackles."

The large iron cuffs hit the ground, releasing their captive. With his free hands, the prisoner pulled off his cowl. He stepped forward. I had never seen someone with more muscle mass.

"Allow me to explain," Lippo announced over the invisible intercom. "Before you are some of Trick Tower's prisoners. The Hunter Exam Committee had also officially hired them as examiners.

You will be fighting the five of them, one-on-one."

The tension was so thick in the air that I could have cut it.

' _Diarra, why couldn't it be_ you _here with me?'_

* * *

 **An hour or so earlier**

* * *

Diarra grinned and stood before her choice of trapdoor. She was rather saddened by the thought of leaving her new friends, and she hoped all four of them would pass so she could see them again.

Kurapika started the countdown. She joined in with him, and as soon as they hit one, she stepped.

Black enveloped her, and she felt the sensation of falling.

The moment Diarra hit the ground, her body rolled to the side. Her instincts had suddenly screamed at her to ' _ **move'**_ , and she had reacted without a second thought. She was glad she did, especially when she saw the playing card protruding from the tiled floor, in the exact spot she had landed in moments before.

She suddenly wished that, when she had chosen the trap door amongst the group of five, she _hadn't_ chosen the door that was segregated from the other four.

"Ho ho~," Hisoka purred. "I'm impressed that you saw that coming." The jester took a step towards her, and Diarra could do nothing.

She wanted to scream.

"What do you say," Hisoka licked his pale lips. "Want to work together?"

* * *

 **Poor Aris.**

… _ **.Poor Diarra.**_ **Am I too cruel to her!?**

 **Special thanks to: napkins-are-always-free, PhoarTeenyEmos, Jemidragon, Tanaka Yue, Risa Van Sanz, and Kri!**

 **And _Special_ Special thank to YuYuHakushoObsessor. I really appreciate your continued support!**

 **Thank you for reading!**

 **~Mao**


	9. The X Apprentice X Duels

Lippo explained the rules for the one-on-one fights.

"Each person may only fight once, and you are free to use any method you'd like. There will be no draws; a win is declared when the opponent admits defeat."

I crossed my arms. "So I'm assuming we need three wins to move on?"

"It seems so," Kurapika nodded.

"That is correct," the prisoner boomed. "It is majority rule, so you may pass if you secure three wins. You may chose your order."

Lippo thought to mention the condition the prisoner's were under; for every hour they detained us, a year would be taken off of their sentence.

"So their objective is to stall for time, and we have a sixty-nine hour time limit. Time will be critical during these fights," Kurapika hummed.

The bald prisoner who had spoken before stepped forward. "I will be your first opponent. Now choose which of you will go against me."

Leorio tensed. "What should we do?"

"He said we could use any method we'd like, so that means anything goes," Killua reminded him.

"So that means we don't know what kind of crap they might try to pull," Suits chewed his lip.

"There's too much at stake without knowing what they have up their sleeves," Kurapika agreed. "Despite that, I will go."

He had no hesitation or regret. He didn't even sound scared, just self-sacrificing in a frustratingly brave kind of way.

And I was completely willing to let him offer to go. The ideal time to go would be the fourth fight, because I would have an inkling of what to expect and it wouldn't be the last fight, with all the pressure riding on my shoulders. Then there would have also been a chance I wouldn't have to fight at all, if all three of the first matches were won.

I glanced across the arena and at the other prisoners, and then I realized that at least two of them were scrawnier than I was.

'They probably won't fight. It will probably be a test of wits.'

That was the reason Lippo had stressed that the 'fights' were anything goes; almost half of the prisoners were the masterminds of their crimes, not the muscles. And there was one thing I knew about myself, that Zeno had told me time and time again - I wasn't too bright.

I would just try to avoid them, then, and volunteer to go during when one of the bigger prisoners were going.

And then I saw the size of the other two muscle-men.

One was way in the back, sitting against the wall in an ominous way. He was twice the size of the bald man.

And the one standing by the scrawny ones was three times bigger than the second guy.

'Hell no.'

Kurapika took a step forward to volunteer to be our first choice. I cut him off.

"No, I'll go first."

He blinked in surprise. "What?"

"I said I'm going first." I approached the edge of the platform, awaiting a retractable bridge to connect. It moved painfully slow.

"Aris?" Gon wondered.

"Hey, are you serious?" Leorio asked. He actually sounded concerned.

"Don't sound so surprised," I rolled my eyes. "You said it yourself, I'm on thin ice with you guys. I can prove myself by getting us a win."

It was weak reasoning. But obviously I was there to pass the exam myself and wouldn't want to lose the match either. Although, I didn't want tell them that I'd just volunteered for completely selfish reasons. I totally didn't want to give up this opportunity.

"I say let her go," Killua shrugged. "It won't matter if she loses. She'll either win or die, and then we can win ourselves and not have to worry about her."

I shot him a glare that would make a blind man uncomfortable, which was fitting as he wouldn't look at me in the eye. I wanted to wipe that smug little smirk off of his face.

"That's mean, Killua," Gon frowned. Killua shrugged.

I turned my back on them. The bridge had finally found its mark on our side of the abyss. I took a step, found it was sturdy, and then took another. It was decently wide, but I still didn't want to walk too fast. It wasn't the ideal time for my inner clumsiness to come out.

"That was a surprise," I heard Leorio whisper behind me. His lowest volume level was stuck on 'permanent hearing damage'. The way the chamber carried sound didn't help, either. "I didn't expect Princess to do any work. I thought she'd make us all go first so she wouldn't have to fight at all."

'That's Priestess to you,' I corrected in my head.

Well, that had been my original plan, but he didn't need to know that. And if he hadn't figured why I really had volunteered, then he probably actually thought I was trying to get on their good sides.

That was fine by me.

'If he thinks I act like a princess, he should meet Tatiana.'

"Be ready to fight, Kurapika. You, Gon, and I will have to win our matches now," warned Leorio.

I gritted my teeth and returned to focusing on walking. I was soon at the arena. The acoustics in the room were fantastic; Gon's concern was carried all the way to me.

"Will Aris be okay?"

I tried not to notice that no one answered him. Maybe I walked out of hearing range?

I looked across the arena and saw the bald prisoner. He got straight to business.

"Now, let us determine the method of combat. I propose a death match."

I was expecting my heart to leap into my throat. Instead, it diminished its beating until there was ice in my veins. I don't know why I hadn't been expecting death to be involved. The Hunter Exam had standards to uphold, and I guess not enough people were dying.

I thought back to the two prisoners, my first kills, and found it funny that is was another prisoner I would have to kill. Zeno had prepared me with more accuracy than he probably thought.

"Well?" the prisoner looked at me.

"I accept," I answered, proud of how sure I sounded. The feeling didn't last long.

The prisoner grinned, his chest rippling, and crouched into an athletic stance. "I commend you for your courage!"

He was huge, like a bear, with biceps larger than my waist and veins painting his bald head.

Reut's katana was cold against my back, still hidden by my hair, like a whispering secret. If there had been any wind, it would have been visible for all to see. The slight draft of the abyss was, thankfully, no match for my thick blanket of hair.

I mirrored his stance, making like I was as unarmed as he was. It was a standard army move, one that even first year cadets knew; shoulders tense, arms up, knees bent.

'Former soldier,' I noted internally. 'Objective is to stall for time. He'll probably aim for my neck, to try and render me unable to speak so he can keep our fight going for the full sixty-nine hours.'

"Let's begin the fight," Baldy said, getting pumped up. He probably thrived off adrenaline, probably ate it for breakfast.

He jumped towards me, fast, but also readable. He fist was headed for my throat.

As smoothly as I could, I shot my hand into my hair. I drew Reut's katana and intercepted his swing.

Blood dripped down it's silver face, flowing to its hilt, which thankfully blocked it from getting on my hands. It wouldn't have helped my grip any if the hilt became smeared with blood.

I didn't retreat, pushing forward with a practiced step and slicing diagonally.

He jumped back, an unnerving grin on his lips. There was a gash along his forearm from when I had intercepted him with my blade, and blood dripped from it rapidly. He seemed alarmingly unconcerned.

"That was clever, concealing your sword with your hair," he conversed. I didn't take him for such a motor-mouth. "I didn't even think to ban weapons."

Instead of responding, I charged, using another side swipe. I disliked down strokes; they left me open. Zeno warned me against them, saying that I was too weak and too slow. He was right, again.

The prisoner dodged, since there was little he could do to block a weapon. I kept pushing him back, putting him on the run.

It looked like I was winning.

Except my attack pattern had become too predictable. Colors burst in my head, and I realized I was hit with an elbow. There was more pain, and another crushing blow to my abdomen, then a knee in my thigh.

I swiped up with a one-handed swing as I teetered, blinded and gasping for sweet, sweet air.

He was forced to back off, and I took the opportunity to catch my breath, crashing to one knee. He had given me a dead leg, and my thigh muscle was spasming and contracting uncontrollably. He had also knocked the wind out of me, and my lungs refused to work properly for a good ten seconds.

Damn. He only got three blows over me, but he was so strong that he had almost taken me out.

"Glass jaw," he commented with a touch of disappointment, cracking his neck. I scowled, managing to rise to my feet again.

The elbow to my head had been the least damaging, thankfully, and soon my head was clear. Maybe my adrenaline was just finally kicking in and lessening my pain. I steadied my breath - that is, when I finally caught it.

"You can do it, Aris!" I heard Gon cheer. Well. Guess they weren't out of range.

I pointed the katana, testing my weight on my leg. It was uncooperative at first, but I managed to whip it into shape quickly enough.

Why wasn't this guy charging in on me during my weakened state? Was he avoiding the katana? Honestly, he probably would have gotten around it.

But he was stalling. And, since he hadn't been able to get at my throat, he must have changed game plans and started going easy on me, just to play with me and waste time, to make me think I had a chance of winning. He'd give me enough hope to keep me pushing and pushing until I'd wasted all of our time.

That meant that he'd probably out match me head on. Well, it wasn't like I'd spent the last three years training for head on confrontations. Such things didn't particularly fall under Stealth's domain.

I calmed my breathing even more, straightening my spine and lowering the katana.

He smirked. "Oh? What's next?"

I felt my heart slow, even out, become something new.

I searched for the tempo, relieved and even more relaxed when I found it easily. And then I started walking, in a circle. And then there were two of me, then four, then eight, until I was so numerous that there was not an open space around him.

He didn't panic, but he did seem caught off guard.

The Rhythm Echo had been the bane of my existence when Zeno had first taught it to me. Diarra had, of course, picked up on it right away, but it took me about a year and a half to learn. The difficulty of it lied in the mental fortitude of the user, as well as their bodily coordination; in other words, It did not lie in my specialties.

One day the technique made me want to jump off a cliff, and the next, it just clicked, like riding a bike. Zeno had made me do it so often that, for maybe a week or so, I slipped into it on accident when walking through the Southern Temple.

I hadn't known such a technique had even existed before Zeno had taught it to me, and I could tell the prisoner hadn't heard of it either.

Sweat dripped down his temple, and he swirled, attempting to cover his back. His smirk was long gone.

The atmosphere had grown eery at my first step, and the torch lights flickered.

I don't remember making the decision to strike, but my body moved on its own.

When his back was turned, I surged forward, and brought Ruet's katana down on his meaty neck.

There was a lot of blood; neck and head wounds always bleed the most. Actually, because of this, I used to think them cruel methods of killing. But then Zeno had explained to me that they were the quickest path to the afterlife. Stomach wounds were the most painful, because you lived longer, or there were more internal organs to hit and rupture. Slitting the jugular was quick and only a one-hit thing. Cutting through it and the spine was even faster.

I'd like to say he didn't know what hit him, but he did. I could tell this prisoner - this man - had seen death before, had caused it. He knew exactly what was happening to him. I wasn't strong enough to sever all the way through.

He hit the ground, and stopped twitching within seconds.

Killing gets easier each time - This still rang true for me.

With some disdain, I noticed a few drops of blood had spotted my robes. Thankfully, it was only a few, and wasn't too noticeable. With a sigh, I went to sheath my katana, before I saw it was soaked with blood from hilt to tip.

I didn't want to be disrespectful to a body, but I saw no other clothes available, and I wasn't about to use my holy ones, so I bent over and wiped the blade along his shirt.

I sheathed my katana for good, and turned around to leave.

And I suddenly realized that I had just referred to it as my katana. Before, it'd always been Reut's. Now that I had used it to kill, I couldn't associate it with her. It was my sin, not hers.

I let the other prisoners take care of the body. I tried not to watch or listen as they dragged it, blood smearing on the ground behind it.

The walk was silent, and no comments were carried to my ears.

By the time I joined the four boys on the platform, the larger prisoner had dragged the body all the way to the edge of the arena. He flung it into the abyss with a heave and returned to his side of the abyss.

I let out a breath, and something seemed to relax in the air.

"Woah! You were so cool, Aris!" Gon cheered.

"We actually won?" Leorio wondered. It hadn't seemed to hit him until then. "Alright!"

"You didn't have to doubt me so much," I scowled, secretly grateful he hadn't mentioned how… brutal the kill had looked. And felt.

Killua was eyeing me suspiciously - nothing new, except it was intensified from earlier. Great. I hadn't thought that was possible.

"Where'd you learn the Rhythm Echo?" He narrowed his eyes, slipping his hands into his pockets nonchalantly, though his demeanor was anything but nonchalant.

Well. He'd heard of the move. No, if his little episode earlier was any indication, he could use it. I didn't doubt that at all. He was the spitting image of Zeno.

I shrugged and said, vaguely, "The same place Diarra learned it."

Killua blinked, apparently just learning that little fact. I felt a sense of satisfaction.

'No matter how much you think you know her, I still know her better.'

Thankfully, Killua seemed to be done talking to me. He turned away and stood by Gon.

Kurapika was lost deep in thought. Unfortunately, he had done so while staring at me.

"That technique," he murmured, finally breaking his stare to look me in the eye with determination. "Aris, will you teach it to me?"

I blinked. "Uh, what?"

"That move that - the Rhythm Echo - will you teach it to me?"

What the heck is wrong with these people? They just saw me kill someone, and they wanted me to teach them how to do it, too.

I hadn't expected how relieved I was that they weren't too caught up in what had just happened. Because if they were, I would be, too.

I looked away from Kurapika like I was contemplating my answer, but I really just couldn't take the intensity of his eyes. They were a deep grey.

"I'm not exactly teaching material." I folded my arms to end the subject. Kurapika got the message, but he didn't seemed satisfied.

We were interrupted when the next prisoner volunteered. It was one of the scrawny ones, who took off his cowl to reveal a man with stringy hair and a permanent smirk.

"Who's next?" I asked, glancing between the four boys at my side. Obviously, Kurapika and, admittedly, Killua were the most intelligent amongst them. And since I now knew Killua's skill, I reasoned we should save him for one of the physical opponents. So I turned back to Kurapika, though I had just pretty much avoided him a second ago.

"Oh! I want to go!" Gon raised his hand. "Please!" he added with a hopeful smile.

I scowled. I seemed to be doing that a lot lately. "No offense, Gon, but I don't think you should."

He deflated and pouted a little. "Why not?"

I huffed. I didn't want to be rude to Gon - the kid was sweeter than honey - but I wasn't going to let myself fail the exam because I didn't want to hurt anyone's feelings. Still, he made it hard, with his big round eyes and cute cheeks, and his disappointed sigh.

"Because I guarantee this next round will be a battle of wits. That just doesn't seem like your cup of tea."

"You can't tell him not to go," Leorio shouted. "You totally went without asking us."

I glared up at Suits (since he was so much taller than me). "Yeah, but I won, remember?" I shook my head to tell him that is was besides the point. "We're lucky - so far they've picked who to send out first. That means we get to decide who fights who. Why would we waste that advantage and send people out just because they feel like it?"

Leorio hesitated for a moment, but he must have felt I made a good point because he never answered me. "Still, don't start thinking you're our boss or anything."

"Whatever," I rolled my eyes. "Kurapika, you should go this time."

"Me?"

I shrugged. "So far, you seem pretty smart." I sent a nod in the direction of the scrawny prisoner waiting on the arena. "And he is definitely not going to fight."

Kurapika didn't seemed flattered, but he didn't argue with me.

"Very well," he nodded. "I see your point. I will go next."

He approached the walkway, shooting Gon an apologetic smile.

"Good luck, Kurapika!" the boy waved, grinning back. Killua even sent an acknowledging nod, which was way more than I had gotten. Leorio, at least, didn't repeatedly express his worry for failure.

When Kurapika had arrived at the arena, the scrawny prisoner introduced himself. "My name is Sedokan. As you can see, I'm not very strong - I don't really enjoy fistfights."

"Woah, you were actually right," Leorio blinked behind me. I turned to glare at him.

"Of course I am."

"I guess it was a good thing I didn't go then," Gon rubbed the back of his head. I could tell he was still a little disappointed, but at least he understood what I had spoke up.

"So I came up with a simple game," Sedokan said. "One that does not rely on either mental or physical activity.

"What kind of game?" Kurapika asked calmly. It was a different feeling watching him from a distance when I actually knew him than opposed to when he was stranger hanging with Diarra.

Sedokan dug around in his pocket and pulled out two candles by their base. With that ever-present smirk, he said, "Here's how to play; we each light a candle at the same time, and the one whose candle goes out first is the loser. What do you say?"

Kurapika tapped his chin. "Alright, I'll play."

Well. It wasn't like he'd had the option to refuse.

Sedokan revealed the catch; the candles were two different lengths. "Now, I'll let you decide which candle you want to use. Press 'O' for the long one, and 'X' for the short one."

"Crap," Leorio cursed. "This is a trap!"

I crossed my arms, perplexed.

"Under normal circumstances, I'd say to choose the longer one, but it's obviously been tampered with," Leorio fidgeted, frowning deeply.

Killua, still nonchalant, hummed. "Maybe. Or he thought that's what we'd think and tampered with the short one."

"So it's just like the door in the first room?' Gon wondered. "So shouldn't we pick the long one, then?"

I could see it going either way, and I was honestly stumped. I hoped Kurapika was a smart as he seemed.

"Or maybe they're both rigged to never go out," I suggested unhappily. "And then we'll just be forced to sit here and use up all of our time."

"That's a possibility. At this point, it doesn't matter which one we pick," Killua said. "Let's just go with whatever Kurapika chooses."

"Agreed," Leorio said.

I nodded, secretly glad the responsibility was pushed off of my shoulders. And, admittedly, it was kinda nice to trust the blond.

Kurapika went with the short candle, so we all selected 'X' on our watches. The candles were handed out and lit in the torches, and just like that, the match had begun. We watched with baited breaths on the sidelines and barely moved from the nerves. The candle were pretty small, like the smallest wind would put them out.

And then the candle in Kurapika's hand sparked and intensified, fizzling like a firework. I gasped.

"Shit!" Leorio cursed. "We picked wrong!"

There wasn't much left to do but watch the fire melt the wax and wick. Kurapika was forced to lay it at his feet in order to avoid burning his hands, and within a minute, it was as short as a coin. Kurapika bowed his head in grim acceptance. There was nothing he could do - he was doomed from the start.

'Great,' I thought. 'Now we've wasted someone competent on an automatic loss. I should have just let Gon go.'

Kurapika walked back with his shoulders back and his head high. I kinda respected him. But the calm look in his eyes, for some reason, ignited fiery anger in my stomach.

'He just lost us a match and he doesn't even care, does he?'

I scowled, because I was feeling the pressure. These people didn't have quite the same incentive as me to pass this year - they could always come back and try again. I didn't have that option. And I had almost gotten comfortable, had almost trusted strangers.

Kurapika joined us on our side. "I am sorry I could not find a solution," he apologized, to no one in particular.

Gon offered a smile. "It wasn't your fault, Kurapika. That was tough."

Leorio, too, did not seem too upset with the boy. And Killua never so much as batted an eye. I tried not to direct my scowl directly at Kurapika, but it was a difficult task when not acknowledging him was rude, too. I just stuck to glaring holes in the ground.

Soon, the next prisoner was at the arena. I tried to shake off my emotions.

His arms were blue - Blue! He was also one of the larger of the prisoners, larger than the first one…

"Oh! Can I go?" Gon all but begged, his eyes large and hopeful. He had directed the question at me. Did I say yes and save Killua for the biggest prisoner? Or did I aim for all of our wins right away, even if it means risking the same outcome as the last match?

"Yes," I said after only a moment. I barely noticed that he had turned to me to make the decision.

"Yay!" the boy cheered, freeing his pack from his shoulders and jogging to the center of the arena.

"Wait a minute," Leorio frowned as the boy ran right past him, though he wasn't talking to Gon. "Who died and made you Queen?"

"Do you have any bright ideas?" I shot back. He gave me a seething look but was otherwise silent. "Yeah, I didn't think so," I flicked a strand of hair off of my shoulder.

It was the wrong thing to say.

"Don't start thinking we trust you," Suits towered over me intimidatingly. Again. I tried to not gulp or show signs that he'd actually made me a little scared. "After all, you're last bright idea made us lose."

"You want to fight that guy? Be my guest!" I shouted, pointing at the large, blue, ugly prisoner facing Gon. He had taken off his cowl to reveal a face that not even a mother could love, and bulging muscles that were honestly bigger than Diarra.

Leorio was shocked enough to drop the argument.

His name was Majitani, he announced, and he said he wanted a fight to the death. No weapons were allowed. Gon agreed, and said something along the lines that he didn't have any, anyway.

Not unless you counted his fishing pole, which I didn't. Besides, it was all the way over by Killua with his backpack.

Majitani flexed, and I suddenly felt very sick, because I had just sent a twelve year old boy out to fight a giant. A giant with blue skin.

There was an old parable in Templist scriptures that came to mind concerning the situation. A young shepherd boy and his father were out letting their herd graze in a valley, when they suddenly realized that one of their sheep was missing. Together, they go out searching for it, only to find that it had fallen off of a ledge. It would have fallen to its death if it had not been miraculously caught by a small tree that had taken root in a crack on the side of the cliff.

The father came up with a quick idea to scale the ledge with a rope they had made of sheep hair. One of them would have to stand at the top to hold the rope while one of them lowered themselves over the edge to grab the sheep. Then, the one at the top would pull them both to safety. Obviously, dangling over the cliff was quite a deal more dangerous than holding the rope. The father weighed the most, so even though he loved his son dearly, he told the boy the throw himself over the edge while he supported him from above - it was only logical. The boy complied, prepared the rope, and scaled the wall.

But when his son hefted the sheep over his shoulder, the load became too heavy for the father's aging body. The rope slipped through his fingers, and the son and their sheep fell to their deaths.

The moral of the story was to put ethics and morality over cold-hearted logic. The father should have taken the more dangerous job.

I felt like a Shepherd man who had just sent out his son to carry the sheep.

I prayed that a story was just a story.

* * *

 **AN/ Sigh. Aris messed up a couple of times, guys! And she's kinda mean to Gon… Yikes! (Okay, not kinda. She's really mean to him! To all of them!) And despite that, I really like this chapter.**

 **Thank you so much for reading.**

 **I really appreciate that you took the time to read!**

 **~Mao**


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